


The threat of the War

by candelina



Series: The prince and the knight [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Feels, Knight!Zoro, M/M, Prince!Sanji, Royalty, Surprises, ZoSan is love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-03-29 09:24:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19017055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/candelina/pseuds/candelina
Summary: The prince of the All Blue Kingdom, Sanji, and a high-ranked knight of the royal palace who has humble origins, Roronoa Zoro, have expressed their feelings towards each other several months ago. They have been keeping their relationship secret since then, even with their most trusted friends.However, with the violent conflict spreading all over many nearby kingdoms, their country might soon be in serious danger. What will they be ready to sacrifice to protect it?A love-vs-war story.





	1. Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is the SEQUEL to “The All Blue Kingdom”, but even if you hadn't read it you'll probably understand this story anyway. You might enjoy this more if have, though. Then again, if you want, you can always go and read the first part as a sort of prequel after you read this one, maybe?
> 
> The choice is yours!

“Let's start!!”

 

“Yeah!!!”

 

“KAANPAIII!”

 

“CHEERS!!”

 

“You guys are amazing!!”

 

“Oi, Luffy! That's my food!!”

 

“Yum-.. sowwy.”

 

“You..”

 

“Hahaha!”

 

Joyful, funny, stress-free. That was the kind of atmosphere which was surrounding the military quarters of the royal palace.  
Everyone was enjoying the little party. Many knights and guards took part in it and they all brought something to drink or to eat.  
It all started the day before, when Luffy found out that it was Doctor Chopper’s birthday. The young doctor of the royal palace, who visited knights and guards periodically, was also Luffy and Usopp’s great friend. They immediately decided that the little talking reindeer deserved the best gift of all, so they told everyone to meet up at dinner time in the dining hall and to help with the surprise.  
Any excuse is good to throw a party, after all.

Chopper acted shy as expected at the beginning, when they showed him what they had organized, but in the end, he had lots of fun. He was also one of the first to fall asleep, though.

 

“Hey, we're running out of sake!”

“What about beer?”

“It's okay, guys! We've got tons of both here!!”

“Great!”

“More food coming too!”

 

“Speaking of booze.. where's Zoro? Have you seen him, Luffy?”

The young dark-haired knight lifted his head from his plate full of meat and looked at his friend. “Dunno.”

Usopp sighed. “He was here just a moment ago. I just hope he didn't go somewhere all by himself or he'll probably end up getting lost.”

“Shishishi!! Don't worry, Usopp. I'm sure he's having fun like everyone else!”

The young guard felt somehow reassured by his friend's words and decided to go and stand on a table to make his announcement. “ALRIGHT!! Time for the Great Usopp to sing for you his amazing repertoire!!”

“YAY!!”

 

 

Certainly, Luffy wasn't wrong. Zoro had all the intentions to have fun and enjoy his own ‘party’.

 

“Marimo..”

 

“A-mnh..”

 

Somewhere at the rear of the stables, where no one goes (especially at that time of the night), two men were holding each other closely.

Prince Sanji had put his arms around the green-haired knight's neck and Zoro around the blond's waist. He had sneaked out of the party, without being noticed, and went to the place where he and the prince had kissed for the first time, a few months ago.  
Sanji was already there. They immediately started their make out session.

 

“Mmh.. you taste like alcohol.”

 

“And don't you like it?”

 

“I do. But you could’ve brought a bottle, at least.”

 

“Now.. we can't have you completely drunk, can we?”

 

“Shut up, idiot.”

 

Zoro felt a mischievous smirk appear on his face.

“Make me.”

 

Sanji raised his eyebrows in surprise upon hearing that response. But then, he smirked too and whispered close to the marimo's lips.

“As you wish.”

 

They kissed again. Beautifully and passionately. Their lips danced together, fitting one another so perfectly.  
Zoro's hands started travelling on the blond's back, touching as much as he could. And Sanji ran his own hands through the knight's hair.  
They pulled away just because they needed air.

 

“By the way.. you could've joined in the party.. if you wanted to take something to drink.”

“As if I could. It was a party for.. the knights and the guards, right? Even if I'm friends with Usopp and Luffy.. not everyone would've been pleased to see their prince there.”

“Well, more time for.. our ‘party’, then.”

“Why does it sound like something dirty..?”

“Maybe because you're a perverted prince-cook.”

“What did you sa- WHA-” Suddenly, Sanji felt a firm squeeze on.. his ass. He blushed and frowned deeply, whilst looking at the culprit.

“What, now? Don't tell me you're getting embarrassed, curly-brow. After all..” Zoro leant in to whisper in the blond's ear in a deep, flirtatious voice. “I'm only touching what belongs to me.”

 

The prince shivered at that. Then, the knight began to plant some kisses slowly on the blond's neck. And he even started massaging his ass. He knew the prince was enjoying it, a lot.

 

“Mnh.. Z-Zoro.. wait, not here.”

 

Zoro stopped everything he was doing and looked at the blond.

“Do you want to go to the little house?”

 

“If with that you mean the awful hovel, then.. yes.”

“It's not a hovel!! And it isn't so horrible either! You're just too prissy.”

“Don't you dare call me ‘prissy’! YOU are just a caveman!”

“Tch.. it's not my fault if you're so annoyingly demanding.”

“You could still make that place look a little better after so many times we've.. used it.”

“I don't care about such stuff. Shall we go now or what?”

 

Sanji sighed. There was no way the marimo was going to do something like what he had asked. In end, the prince gave up, just as he had done many other times before. “Yeah.”

They walked through the woods, following the usual path that led to their special place. The small abandoned wooden house. It actually might not be a luxurious mansion, but it was all they needed. A place where the knight and the prince could stay together, far from anyone else, simply enjoying and spending time with each other and forgetting about their status. It was special, because it had been the main scene of the development of their bond. A bond which grew stronger and stronger every day.  
When they arrived, any quarrel they could have had was suddenly forgotten.  
The atmosphere, the intimacy of the place always prevailed.  
As soon as they got inside, they quickly undressed themselves and each other, as eager as they were.

 

Zoro kissed every inch of the blond's skin and Sanji tried to touch and to feel as much as possible of the knight.

 

“M-marimo.. ah..”

 

“Relax, cook.. we've got all the time..”

 

“A-alright..”

 

They spent the night there, like that.  
However, they couldn't stay as much as they would want to. Prince Sanji had to be back at the royal palace before the sun rose, otherwise people would notice it and it would become suspicious.  
After some great sex, they both fell asleep.

 

Sanji woke up half an hour before the sunrise. He had his back gently pressed against the knight's chest. He slowly turned around, not wanting to wake the marimo yet. Instead, he took a few moments to look at him, admiring his features. Sanji brought a hand to the green-haired man's cheek and caressed it affectionately. Then, he lowered his hand to touch the marimo's chest and also leant closer to plant a soft kiss on it.

That was when Zoro opened his eyes and he gazed down at the blond.

 

“Good morning, moss head.”

 

“It's not morning yet.”

 

“I know it's still dark outside, but.. I have to go.”

 

As always, Zoro didn't like that moment. He didn't like the fact that they couldn't decide to stay there for how long they wanted. However, he knew it couldn't be helped.  
Zoro wrapped his arms around the prince's - still naked - body and buried his face in his blond hair. He nuzzled softly against it and then, reluctantly pulled away.  
Sanji gave him a small smile before getting up and putting his clothes on.  
Zoro watched him and then, he got dressed too.

 

 

§§§§

 

 

Later on, he went to the large kitchens of the royal palace. There were a few very important customers in the famous restaurant of the All Blue Kingdom - also known as the kingdom with the most amazing cuisine and the most skilled chefs (who were especially part of the royal family).  
Sanji was currently making one of his special dishes and was almost ready to serve it. Cooking was what he loved to do the most. However, he also enjoyed very much looking at people who tasted his food and seeing their reactions. So, when he could, he finished to prepare the dish and personally served it to the customer.  
Like in this case. The reason was probably also because the customer was one of his best friends who he hadn't seen in a while.

 

Lady Nami was sitting at a table with another woman who had short, slightly curly, light blue hair. She was Lady Nojiko, her older sister.  
They had decided to leave their country for a while together. They temporarily moved to the All Blue Kingdom, which was one of the few and most peaceful countries at the moment.

 

Sanji walked towards their table with a gentle smile on his face and the dishes on a tray, ready to welcome the ladies happily.

“Hello, Lady Nami. I'm so glad to see you after so much time! I really missed your incredible beauty!! And I feel so honoured to have you here too, Lady Nojiko! It's almost unbelievable how you became even more wonderful than I remembered.”

 

Nami smiled back at the prince. She was happy to see him again too. Nevertheless, she playfully rolled her eyes upon listening to his usual way of talking to girls.

“Hi, Prince Sanji. It's nice to see you as well.”

 

Nojiko giggled softly upon witnessing the exchange between her younger sister and their friend. It was a good thing to know that nothing had changed.

“Hello, Sanji. It's been so long, isn't it?”

 

The prince placed the tray on the table and gently took the light-blue-haired woman's hand and bowed to kiss it in a chivalrous gesture. “It has indeed, my lady.”

Nojiko chuckled a little again and then both of the ladies watched Sanji placing the plates with the food in front of them.

“Woah.. it looks delicious!”

“It's been too long since I have tasted your food!”

“I'm sorry for making you wait. I do hope to make up for it with my special.. duck à l’orange, only for you, my beautiful ladies.”

 

 

§§§§

 

 

That day, he trained himself particularly intensely. He practiced and fought against other knights and he always won. Some of those men still felt the hangover from the party of the night before. So, Zoro found it even easier to fight them.

 

“Wow.. you seem to be in great shape today!”

“Yeah? Well, on the other hand, these guys look like they didn't sleep all night.”

“Uh.. I think that's because they actually didn't.”

“Seriously? How long did you go on with the party yesterday?”

“I'm not sure.. I fell asleep somewhere.. at some point. I don't remember what time it was. Man, they definitely know how to party!”

“All because of Luffy's idea. Did he fall asleep too?”

“I think so. He ate almost all night, but he doesn't look tired at all.”

“His energy is endless.”

“Yeah.. by the way, where did you go during the party? I only saw you for the first hour and then nothing.”

“Uh.. I just.. left. It was a little too loud for me, so.. I preferred to go and drink somewhere else alone.”

“I see. Did you enjoy your time with yourself, then?”

 

“Oh, I definitely did.”

 

After the conversation, Usopp went back to his own training.

Zoro thought that Luffy was probably the only one who could keep up with him properly during his workout today.  
Obviously, there could be someone else. But, the prince was busy at the royal restaurant, in that moment and he probably would for a while.

 

 

§§§§

 

 

Lunch time was over. The customers were all happy and satisfied with their meals, as always.

Sanji was outside, taking a cigarette break.

 

Lady Nami approached him alone. “I knew I would've found you here.”

 

The prince turned to her a little surprised, but pleased. “Lady Nami, were you looking for me? I'm so happy!!”

 

She ignored that attitude of his and leant against a wall next to the blond.

“Your cooking is always great. But, today I felt like it was especially good.”

“You're flattering me, my wonderful flower!”

“I'm serious, Sanji. We haven't seen each other since.. Vivi’s wedding, even though you've sent me a few letters and I replied to them. It's nice to see you again and to see that you look.. so happy.”

“Do.. do I?”

“Yeah. In your letters you've asked me how I was doing and all that, but.. you haven't talked much about yourself.”

“Ah, well.. you know I always think about you! And.. well, I cannot deny that I've been feeling very good lately.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Is there a particular reason?”

 

Sanji looked up at the sky and exhaled the smoke. Images of green hair and a sparkle of certain golden earrings crossed his mind.

 

He smiled.

 

“No, nothing in particular.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELCOME BACK!!  
> – to everyone who has already read the first part of the series! (“The All Blue Kingdom”, a.k.a. “How Prince Sanji and the knight Roronoa Zoro fell in love with each other”)
> 
> And a BIG WELCOME!!  
> – to those who haven’t! (as I mentioned before, you don’t need to read these parts in a chronological order or to read all of them, if you don’t want to.) 
> 
> By the way, I just wanted to point out that both Zoro and Sanji are 19 and so, their appearances are similar to those of the pre-timeskip of the canon universe.. well, apart from their clothes, which are more royalty-like for Sanji and more humble – sometimes more knight-like – for Zoro.
> 
> That said, I hope you enjoy this second part!!


	2. War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say that I'll probably update this once a week, more or less.
> 
> Meanwhile, let me know what you think!

The weather was nice. There were birds singing a tranquil melody which made the whole atmosphere so peaceful.

They were both looking at the light blue, cloudless sky.

Zoro and Sanji were laying next to each other on a blanket on the grass.

 

It had been the knight's idea to spend some time after breakfast like that. The spot he found a few days ago, in the middle of the woods, was very well-hidden. The prince couldn't say ‘no’ since they didn't even get to stay together the night before. Plus, he wasn't particularly busy that morning, which was pretty unusual, so he better took advantage of it while he could.   
Although the sight of such a beautiful sky was really captivating, they both couldn't avoid glancing at each other every now and then. And they always smiled when they did it.

“It's not bad here, huh?”

“For once.. I agree with you, moss head.”

“Maybe, next time you can make some food for us to bring.”

“I would've done it if you hadn't dragged me along so suddenly.”

“I just didn't want to waste time.”

“I had no idea you wanted to spend the rest of the morning with me so badly.”

“Shut up.”

“And you even said you want to do this again, ‘next time’.”

“Whatever.. it's not like I'm forcing you to do it.”

“I never said that. In fact, I do like it.”

Zoro turned his head to look at the prince. He was happy to hear that the blond was enjoying it. “That's.. good.”

Sanji smiled at him sweetly. “Next time.. I'll prepare a nice picnic to bring along.”

The green-haired man smiled too. Then, he pushed himself up to a sitting position and turned completely towards the blond. And he leant in slowly so his face was a few centimetres above the prince-cook’s.  
Sanji raised his eyebrows and felt his cheeks flush slightly. But then, he closed his eyes, knowing what was coming.  
Zoro admired his expression a little before leaning even closer to press his lips gently against the blond's, kissing him softly.

Their lips brushed in a loving way against each other. The prince and the knight were just about to deepen the kiss when.. they heard a noise, coming from afar.

 

Zoro instantly pulled away and became serious all of a sudden.

Sanji frowned and got up, looking around carefully. “What was that?”

“I think someone's coming.”

“What?! You said no one ever comes here!”

“No, I only said that this place is well-hidden, not that nobody knows it.”

“You idiot!! What do we do now?”

“Calm down, shitty prince. Just go and hide somewhere, I'll handle this.”

Zoro stood up too. Sanji glared at him, but eventually, he rushed towards the thick vegetation in order to hide behind the trees.  
The knight knew it was probably nothing dangerous, but he still had a firm grip on the hilt of his sword, which he always brought along with him.  
The noise was getting louder, which meant that anyone who was causing it was clearly – and quickly - getting closer.

Zoro turned in the direction of it.

 

And suddenly..

 

“Usopp?!”

 

The guard leapt out from some bushes. He had probably run for a while because he was huffing and puffing.

“Zo.. Zoro.. I.. finally.. found you..”

 

“Oi, calm down. Why were you looking for me? Is there something wrong?”

For some reason, the knight didn't have a good feeling about whatever his friend was going to tell him. Especially because he noticed the look on the long-nosed guy's face.  
It had nothing to do with the usual ‘stupidly’ scared expression he would expect. It was different.

There was clearly something grave in that look.

 

Zoro immediately knew it couldn't be about just any issue.

“Usopp. What happened?”

 

The guard, who was avoiding his friend's gaze, finally looked up and composed himself.

“A few moments ago.. we received a news. It's from the furthest borders of the country.”

 

The knight furrowed his brows. That was the place where he had received his very first training, when he left his hometown to join the army and chase his dream.  
If Usopp was telling him about this news, it was evident that, whatever it was, it had something to do with the section in which he took his first steps as a soldier of the kingdom.

“So, what's that? Come on, tell me.”

 

“It's..”

 

Sanji was still hiding behind the trees, but he was also listening carefully to the conversation. It had to be something very serious. He knitted his eyebrows like Zoro did and waited for the guard to go on.

 

“Zoro.. I'm truly sorry..” Usopp averted his eyes from his friend once again. “Yesterday night, there was an assault. Some of our soldiers were attacked and.. two of them.. died.”

 

Zoro clenched his jaw and both his hands. He had seen lots of men dying in his life, but there was always difficult to accept it, especially when they were your comrades in arms.

But.. something was telling him it wasn't just that.

“Who were they?”

 

The guard was still avoiding looking at him and he didn't reply.

 

“Usopp, what are their names?”

 

“It was.. they were..”

 

They both seemed to hold their breath for a few seconds.

 

“Yosaku and Johnny.”

 

Zoro's eyes widened.

No. Not them. The only comrades and friends, besides Luffy, who stayed with him, laughed with him, drank with him, fought by his side in the worst situations since the beginning and for so much time. No. There had to be a mistake.

 

“Zoro.. I.. I don't even know what to say. But.. if you want to know what happened exactly.. I can give you the letter we received from your former section.”

 

The knight was silent. He didn't know what to think or say either. He didn't want to think it was true.

 

“Zoro?”

 

The green-haired man almost flinched.

“I.. I do want to read it. I want to know what happened.”

 

Usopp nodded. “I imagined that, so.. I brought it with me. Here..”

The guard took the letter from his pocket and handed it to his friend.  
Zoro took it.

“Thanks. I think I.. need to have some time alone now.”

“Of course, don't worry about it. And if you need anything else.. remember that Luffy and I are here for you.”

“Thank you, Usopp.”

 

The long-nosed guy nodded and even though he felt sad for his friend, he tried to smile at him and then, he went back to the royal palace.

 

The prince waited for Usopp to leave before going out of his hiding place. He slowly walked towards the knight and looked at his back. The green-haired man was evidently tense while he was reading the letter that announced the death of his fellow soldiers.  
Sanji wanted to do something. He had to. It was painful to see the man he respected, admired - and.. love - being so hurt.  
He slowly reached out and wrapped his arms around the knight's waist, hugging him from behind. The prince felt like, in that moment, he could only let Zoro know that he was there for him.

“Do you want to go to.. the little house?”

In any other occasion, the knight would've made him notice that, for the first time, he didn't call their secret place a ‘terrible hovel’ or a ‘shack’.  
But Zoro had other stuff in mind. Actually, he felt confused, lost.  
After a few moments, he nodded as a response to Sanji's question. They walked to the little house, which wasn't too far, and once they were inside they both sat on the edge of the bed.

The prince had been holding the knight's hand the whole time, wanting to make him understand that he didn't have to be alone with his pain.  
Zoro's gaze was still lost. He wasn't looking at the blond. He wasn't looking at anything. Neither of them had said a single word, until then.

 

“I'm.. here for you.” Sanji whispered softly.

 

Zoro didn't reply immediately. Instead, he tilted his head and rested it on the cook's shoulder.  
Sanji gently put one arm around the marimo, keeping him close.

 

“I know.”

 

“I understand that it'll take time. If you want to talk about it or about what was written in the letter, I'm more than willing to listen. But.. if you just want to stay here like this, it's completely fine as well.”

For a few minutes, nobody spoke or moved.

Then, Zoro began. “When I.. met them the first time I thought they were a lost cause. But.. I quickly changed my opinion when we dealt with our very first battle. They weren't particularly skilled yet, but they fought with great courage. I was stronger than them and they considered me as a model for all ambitious fighters and especially for swordsmen. We spent so much time together. We didn't only train ourselves, but we also drank, celebrated, had fun. It was nice.”

Sanji smiled slightly. He was really glad that the knight was so willing to tell him so much about it. However, as Zoro talked about his former comrades in arms, he couldn't help wondering about something.

“Have you.. I mean.. you were clearly good friends with them, but.. has there ever been more?”

 

The swordsman looked up at the blond for the first time in a while and he had a slightly confused expression on his face which then changed into a surprised one.

“What? With Yosaku and Johnny? Haha.. no, curly-brow. As you said, I was very good friends with them, but nothing more.”

 

The prince was somehow reassured by that, but he also felt a little bad for asking it. Either way, at least he managed to make the knight smile a bit.  
“I see.” Sanji's gaze fell upon the letter Zoro was still holding on to. “Does it say.. how it happened?”

“It says that they were both out on a boat, patrolling the sea borders of the kingdom when.. there was an explosion. Maybe somehow had thrown a grenade or something..”

“What?! So, it wasn't an accident.”

“That's right. It was on purpose.”

“But, why? Why would anyone attack our soldiers?”

“I cannot be sure about that, but.. the letter says it's because of.. the war.”

The look on Sanji's face darkened. “How? How does that war have anything to do with our kingdom?”

“I don't know. The letter doesn't say much more.”

The prince noticed that the knight's eyes had become sad again. He didn't want to see him like that.  
And all because of a stupid war which broke out a few months ago. There had been many conflicts before, but then things got worse and worse. Two powerful countries, not far from the All Blue Kingdom, signed the declaration that made the war start. From there, other kingdoms got involved as well.  
And now, what? Were they trying to get their country too to take part in that hateful mess? Is that why someone attacked their borders?  
Sanji couldn't accept it.

However, Zoro was more important right now. The blond shook his head trying to snap out of his thoughts. Then, he slowly reached for the swordsman's hand.

The knight looked at him, slightly surprised by the gesture.

“Your friends were great people. They were honourable soldiers who fought and served this country till the end. And they won't ever be forgotten, I give you my word.”

A small smile began to appear on Zoro's face. He was really glad to have that blond, annoying, stubborn prince-cook by his side.

 

“Thank you.. I love you, cook.”

 

“I love you too.. so much.”

 

 

§§§§

 

 

“Your Majesty!! What happened?!”

 

The Minister for Defence burst into one of the private chambers of the royal palace.

 

“Don't be so loud, Carne! His Majesty called us here secretly so we mustn't be heard!!”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs was there too, along with King Zeff, who was sitting on a chair in front of his desk.

 

“You're screaming too, now, Patty.”

“Ah.. I'm sorry, sir.”

The Minister for Defence quietly closed the door and walked closer to the other two men. He looked at the king and immediately noticed what he had in his hands.

“Your Majesty.. is that..”

“Yes, Carne, it's what you think. You've read it too, haven't you?”

“I have, sir.”

“So, the only people who know about this letter are in this room.”

 

Letters were very common to send news and invitations. Obviously, there were many different kinds of letters.

 

“Your Majesty, if I could suggest something..”

“I've already made my decision.” The king spoke in a stern, resolute tone.

The two ministers glanced at each other and then, they looked at King Zeff again. They knew that when the old man talked like that, one couldn't oppose. They could only wait to hear what choice their king had made.

 

“No one will ever know about the letter.”

Patty and Carne nodded slightly. “We understand, sir.”

The king looked up at them. A severe expression was written on his face.

 

“No one.. and especially.. don't ever let Prince Sanji find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two letters.  
> Two different messages.  
> One mystery.
> 
> What does King Zeff want to hide from his son?


	3. Love 1

“1.991.. 1.992.. 1.993..”

Days passed and Zoro trained himself harder and harder.  
After receiving the news of his friends’ death he took a day off to go and visit their graves.  
The prince had asked him if he wanted to be accompanied by him. Zoro had smiled slightly as he tried to reassure the blond and declined the offer. It was something that he wanted to do alone.  
When he had gotten back to the palace he felt a little lighter despite having a sort of uncomfortable feeling which he couldn't figure out, so he tried to push it away by focusing on his workouts more.

And, in fact, here he was. Doing an unthinkable number of push-ups on one hand - sometimes using only one finger.

 

“1.997.. 1.998.. 1.999.. 2-”

 

“WAIT, LUFFY!! DON'T RUN LIKE THAT!!!”

 

“OUT OF MY WAYYYY!!!”

 

“OI, LUFF-”

 

*THUMP*

 

The young knight - who was running without really looking where he was going exactly - bumped into the green-haired man and made them both hit the ground with loud sound.

 

“OUCH!!”

 

“NGHH! What the hell?!!”

 

The older knight rubbed his head while the dark-haired boy got up almost immediately gazing down at his friend like he didn't expect him to be there.

“Oh.. hey, Zoro! Whatcha doing here?”

“What does it look like to you, huh?!! I'm training!”

“Hey, guys!! Are you okay?”

“Yup, don’t worry!”

“Yeah..” The swordsman stood up as well, still glaring at his friend.

 

“That's good. I told you not to rush like that, Luffy!”

“It's not my fault! Plus, you said that we need to hurry!”

“I know, but..”

 

“Oi, what's up with you, guys?”

“Oh, right. Zoro doesn't know yet!”

“That's why I'm asking.”

“Alright, I'll explain. But, firstly we must go to the pantry where they keep the food for knights and guards.”

After Usopp said that, Zoro sighed but also nodded and eventually followed his friends, even though he didn't understand yet what was going on.  
He trained himself a lot that morning so, taking a break wouldn't be bad. Moreover, he could get something to drink if they went there.

Once they got to the food storage room - after a few minutes of walking - the young knight and the guard started looking around, searching for something.  
Zoro crossed his arms and observed them.

“So? What is it that you need here?”

 

Luffy turned to look at him with a determined, but also unusually serious gaze.

 

“Milk.”

And then, he came back looking for it, ignoring the older knight who had raised a questioning brow upon hearing his very simple and short statement.

 

“What? Is that all this trouble is about? You just need some milk?”

“Well.. you see..”

“Shh!! I gotta concentrate.”

Zoro frowned in annoyance. Honestly, what was he even doing there? Oh, right. The alcohol.

Usopp decides to walk closer to him, so he could speak without disturbing the dark-haired boy (who seemed to be really focused on his ‘mission’ but occasionally got distracted by the sight of other foods).

“Okay, so.. first of all, I wanna make it clear that I've nothing to do with this. I'm just trying to help Luffy.”

“I don't care. I just want to know why you interrupted my workout and made me come here.”

“Alright, alright. Where do I begin.. well, someone came to see Luffy early this morning and.. apparently that man is the person who somehow inspired and motivated Luffy to become a strong fighter of the kingdom. Maybe he was a sort of mentor or something, because he's much older than us.”

“Is that so? Hm.. actually I think I've heard Luffy speaking about someone like that.”

“Exactly. So, now the thing is that.. that man didn't come alone. Maybe you remember when Luffy talked about a certain woman as well?”

“Uh.. not really.”

“It doesn't matter. So, that man paid Luffy a visit along with that woman who Luffy had known since he was a child. But, again.. it wasn't just the two of them..”

“Listen, I'm not interested in how many people came today so, hurry up and get to the point.”

“Okay, okay, sorry. The point is that.. those two came here with their new-born and asked Luffy to take care of him for a couple of days.”

 

Zoro blinked. He wasn't sure if he heard his friend well.

“What? Is that a new lie of yours?”

 

“Believe me, I wish it was.”

“They left a little kid with LUFFY?!”

“I know it sounds strange. I even asked myself if they really knew how irresponsible Luffy can be, but then.. well, let's say I happened to be there when they came and the woman asked me the favour of helping Luffy with her baby and.. how could I say ‘no’?”

“Of course, y-”

“FOUND IT!!”

Both Zoro and Usopp turned to their friend who was proudly holding a bottle of milk in his hands.

“Good job, Luffy!”

“I see.. so, the milk is for the kid.”

 

§§§§

 

When they went back to the military quarters, where most of the knights usually slept, Luffy headed immediately to his cabin, which he shared with Zoro. And when he opened the door..

 

“WAAA!! WAAAA!!”

 

“Oh, no! He's crying again!”

“Luffy! Usopp! Finally, you're back. Did you get the milk?”

The little fluffy doctor had a rather concerned expression, but he also felt relieved to see his friends came back soon.

“Don't worry, Chopper! Uncle Luffy's here with the milk!”

When Zoro walked in, he looked around feeling a bit confused. Well, maybe he should have expected that his friends wouldn't leave the baby alone while they were out, looking for what they needed. And asking a doctor to help them taking care of the kid was a good idea too. Most likely, it was Usopp's.

There was also a makeshift crib in the room, from which the crying was coming.

“Give me the baby bottle, Chopper. I'll feed him.”

“Okay, Usopp.”

“No! Let me do it!!”

“I strongly advise against it, Luffy.”

“But, why?”

“Because last time you lifted the baby, you swayed him around too fast. It could be dangerous!”

The young knight pouted upon listening to the doctor's reasoning. He just wanted the little child to have fun.  
However, nothing really seemed to work, because the baby didn't stop crying.  
Zoro was just standing there, arms crossed over his chest, not knowing what he was supposed to do.

 

“WAAAA!! WAAA!!”

“Do we really have to keep him here?”

Usopp had managed to make the little boy drink some of the milk, but apparently it wasn't enough. He sighed and turned to the green-haired man. “Well, I tried to explain his parents that it might be difficult to keep a baby in the military quarters of the royal palace without permission. But.. they said it was just for two or three days.”

“I don't understand. Didn't they have someone else who could look after the kid?”

“Uh, I don't think so. They said that they had moved from their village to somewhere not far from here and that they had to do something which could be dangerous for the baby so.. they thought about asking Luffy this favour.”

“Sounds a bit too mysterious to me.”

“I know. They seemed to be in a hurry as well, in fact, they didn't stay for long.”

“Shishishi! It's fine! Shanks and Makino are very nice people. They'll do whatever they have to and they'll be back in no time. And then, we'll throw a party all together!!”

Zoro and Usopp looked at their friend and the guard couldn't help smiling, this time. Luffy was always so cheerful.

“Well, I admit that I wouldn't mind seeing that red-haired man again. He seemed to be a very interesting and cool guy! And his wife was so sweet too.”

“That's right!! Shanks is a great man! Even though I remember him teasing me a lot when I was a child.. and Makino has always been so nice with both of us! Shishishi!!”

“Really? I wanna meet them too!!”

“Of course, Chopper!”

“They also looked so in love with each other.. what a cute couple!”

“Hehe.. I bet you'd want to be like them with that blond girl you always talk about, Usopp!”

The guard’s cheeks flush brightly upon hearing that. “I-I have no idea what you mean!! Kaya and I are just good friends!”

“But.. you told me that you've a date with her today.”

“You misunderstood, Chopper!”

“Right. The date is probably just another lie of yours.”

“Sh-shut up, Zoro!!”

The knight chuckled at his friend's reaction. He found it funny to tease Usopp about things like that sometimes. It was so evident that he liked that girl from the near village and that he wanted to ask her out on a date.

 

Wait a minute.

 

A date.

 

Why did he feel like that word should ring a bell or something?

 

Oh. Shit.

 

He forgot he had promised to meet the shitty prince after his workout. Zoro was going to have to apologize, even though the blond wouldn't hear of it probably.

The green-haired man sighed. He was about to turn around and leave when..

 

“There you are.”

 

Zoro almost froze upon hearing that voice, which he knew too well. The prince-cook sounded intimidating somehow. He slowly turned around and looked at the blond.  
Sanji was standing on the threshold of the room.

 

“Sanjii!!! You’re here too!” Luffy immediately exclaimed, once he noticed his friend.

 

“Yeah. I didn’t see you or Usopp or even the marimo around so I looked for you, but I couldn’t find anyone. Then, I decided to come here.”

 

Zoro knew what the prince actually meant. The cook had probably waited for him a little while before realising that the knight might have forgotten about their.. date. And so, he thought he would find him here.

It wasn’t completely unusual for the prince to go to the military quarters of the palace, where the knights’ rooms were located. After all, it wasn’t a secret that he was good friends with a few of them. And he wasn’t so stupid to meet Zoro there. When they wanted to stay alone they’d choose a place as far as possible from anyone else.

 

“WAAAA! WAAAA!!”

 

What.. what was that now?

Sanji looked over the swordsman, who was in front of him and was blocking his view, and he noticed for the first time since he had arrived there that Usopp was holding a.. baby?

The prince’s eyes widened slightly.

 

“Hey.. what.. what is a little baby doing here?”

“Ah.. well.. you see, Sanji..”

“Shanks and Makino took him here.” Luffy replied as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

“And.. who are they?”

“The baby’s parents!”

“But, why did they-”

“WAAAAA!! WAAAAAAAA!!”

“Oh, crap..”

“Usopp! Don’t curse around the little child!!” Chopper stepped in.

“Sorry! I just.. I don’t know what to do.. he doesn’t stop crying!”

“He probably misses his dad and mum.”

 

“Let me hold him.”

Sanji walked towards the guard and lifted his arms opened, ready to take the baby in them.

Usopp raised his eyebrows slightly, but carefully handed the little boy to the prince and then, he took a step back.

 

Sanji began to cradle and rock the baby with slow and gentle movements, while smiling down at him sweetly. He also brought a hand to the little child’s cheek and brushed away his tears.

 

And suddenly, there was silence.

 

The baby stopped crying. He was even looking up at the blond man with genuine curiosity and a cute, innocent expression. And the prince whispered to him sweetly.

 

“There, there.. it’s fine. You’re such a good little boy, right?”

 

The baby’s chuckle was the purest sound in the world.

 

Everyone was amazed. Even Luffy spoke in a lower tone of voice than the usual and only after a few minutes.

“Wow. You’re great with kids, Sanji!”

 

Then, there was Zoro. He had been watching the entire scene without saying anything. He had no idea how to deal with a baby. He had wondered how he’d be able to sleep with all that crying. He also had to think about a way to apologize to the cook for what he had forgotten.   
But suddenly, nothing mattered anymore.

When the blond turned around and the knight could see him clearly, everything stopped.

 

Zoro’s heart had a strange reaction to the sight of the prince holding a little baby.

He couldn’t figure out what it was. Actually, he couldn’t even speak or think in that moment. He was too lost looking at the man in front of him, who wasn’t paying attention to him, though.

 

Sanji was still rocking the little boy and he also began to hum a tranquil song. Maybe it was a lullaby he knew.  
Then, he stopped to whisper something again. 

“Don't worry, little boy.. I won't let you stay with these brutes any longer. You'll sleep in my room tonight and I'll take care of you.”

 

“What?! That's not fair, Sanji!! Shanks and Makino asked ME to look after him!”

“Stop whining, Luffy. My room is much safer than a place full of idiots and weapons, and Chopper is too busy to keep him in the infirmary.”

“Well, it makes sense.”

 

All of a sudden, the knight was snapped back to reality and raised his brows in surprise.

“Wait a minute! Aren't you busy too with the restaurant and all, shitty prince?” ‘And what about us spending the night together?’  
That was the implicit question Zoro was sure the blond would understand.

 

“I can leave the baby with one of the maids for some time, but then I'll make sure to look after him personally.” ‘You'll stay alone tonight, deal with it, moss head.’  
And that was Sanji's implicit response.

Zoro grumbled something, not liking the prince-cook’s attitude. He was pretty sure that the blond was doing it on purpose as a punishment because he had forgotten their date. Nevertheless, the knight couldn't bring himself to get annoyed or irritated. Although he tried to ignore it, his heart kept fluttering in a way he wasn't used to at all.

Once the decision was made, the prince walked out of the room still holding the baby in his arms protectively.  
And Zoro couldn't avert his eyes from that precious, adorable, domestic sight.

Luffy still had a sort of scowl on his face, which was quickly replaced by an enthusiastic expression when Usopp mentioned that they were gonna have lots of meat for dinner. The two of them stayed in the room a bit longer, while the little doctor followed the prince outside of the military quarters. The green-haired knight was walking slowly just behind them.

 

“If you need any help with the baby you know where to find me, Prince Sanji.”

The blond smiled gently at the reindeer and nodded. “Of course. Thank you for everything you did, Doctor Chopper.”

The fluffy doctor always had a weird reaction when he heard people calling him like that and speaking so kindly to him. And he would always say something like ‘I didn't do anything!! And hearing that doesn't make me happy at all, idiot!’ whilst blushing and smiling widely. Then, he went back to the infirmary, probably to read and study some medical book.

Sanji watched the doctor go and then, he turned around to look at the swordsman. He smiled softly and shook his head slightly as to say ‘You're a hopeless idiot’.

Zoro pouted and frowned a little. This time he had to look away from the blond, otherwise the prince-cook would notice the blush across his face. He was also trying to make his heart stop pounding loudly in.. bliss?

The knight couldn't figure out what made him feel so.. so.. enchanted? Was he under some kind of spell?

Okay, no. Now he was exaggerating.

Still, for a brief moment, he wished he could sneak in the prince's room that night just to watch him rocking the baby to sleep. The only image of it made the swordsman smile unconsciously.  
It was not like it'd be the first time he went to the blond's room in the royal palace. They had tried to have an encounter there once. However, it turned out to be too risky and they hadn't done it ever again.

When he finally snapped out of those thoughts, he noticed that the prince (with the baby) was already gone.

He sighed and decided to go back to his room for a nap before dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter I was partly inspired by this short (and super adorable >u<) dj/art:  
> https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=manga&illust_id=65013843 
> 
> Also, it's funny because when I wrote this chapter I haven't watched the episode 878 yet! XD (and if you've watched it, you know what I'm talking about)


	4. War 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, I ended up writing more than what I expected, so this chapter is much longer than the others. I hope you’ll like it anyway!

The huge throne room was very dark due to the terrible weather. The sky was obscured by grey clouds which announced a violent storm. It was darker than the night, even though it was still the middle of the day.

 

He was sitting in his favourite spot, one that always reminded him of the absolute power he will soon obtain.. the monarch’s chair. 

Technically, only the king was allowed to sit there. However, even though he was still a prince, he was also the heir to the throne. And his father was old and sick.   
That was what made him feel so sure that he’ll soon have all the rights to be where he was.

 

Right now, He was waiting to meet the men who worked specifically for him and to be informed of what he wanted to know. Meanwhile, he enjoyed the powerful feeling that place always radiated.

 

Finally, the large door opened and one of his most loyal informers walked in.

Immediately, a small smirk appeared on the prince’s face.

“I hope you’re here to bring me nice news.”

 

The man walked closer to his prince and kneeled before him.

“I regret to inform you of this, Your Highness, but no.. we haven’t received a reply yet.”

 

“I see.” The prince’s slight smirk didn’t disappear. He stood up and calmly walked towards one of the huge window of the hall.

“I wonder how much they’ll make me wait again.” He looked outside at the heavy rain and the lightnings invading the sky.

 

“I’m sure we’ll receive a reply soon, Your Highness. They’d be fool not to accept your generous offer, sir.”

 

“That’s right. I’m curious to see how much longer they’ll last. Remember I want to know immediately whenever a letter from the All Blue Kingdom arrives.”

 

“Of course, my prince!”

 

“Stop bothering me now. You can leave.”

 

“Yes, Your Highness.” The servant bowed respectfully and then stood properly and walked out of the throne room.

 

The prince hadn’t turned his gaze away from the storm even for a second.

 

‘I’m really curious. What will you decide to do..’

 

 

And suddenly, a loud thunder was heard.

 

 

‘.. Prince Sanji?’

 

§§§§

 

Many knights had already finished their daily workout. Only a few of them, like Zoro and Luffy, were still outside.  
Luffy just didn’t want to go back to the quarters because it would be ‘too boring’ and Zoro was currently lifting enormous weights.

At a certain point, the young knight got distracted firstly by a colourful butterfly – which he tried to chase for a while, but couldn’t catch – and then by the smell of food coming from the near kitchens of the royal palace.   
He sneaked in there, but a few minutes later he was kicked out after trying to steal some meat. 

“OW!!”

 

Zoro, who had been focusing on his workout, paused for a moment and turned to his friend.

“Oi, Luffy, stop it. We’re going to have lunch soon.”

 

“But I’m hungry NOW!”

The older knight sighed and put down the weights. He took a towel and dried the sweat off his forehead and then, placed it on his shoulder.  
He knew it was no use trying to convince Luffy to wait, especially when it came to food. Honestly, right now he just wanted to take a nap somewhere quiet.

 

 

“Luffy!”

 

Both knights turned their heads. They looked at the person coming towards them and Zoro raised an eyebrow as he wondered who that woman could be and how she knew Luffy. Then, a realisation hit him.

 

“MAKINO!! Shishishi, you’re back!”

Luffy welcomed her with a wide, joyful grin. He seemed to have even forgotten about his hunger.

 

The young woman, who had brown eyes and dark green hair covered by a yellow kerchief, walked closer to them. “Yes, I managed to come back here earlier than I thought.” 

Then, she looked at the green-haired man and smiled politely. “You must be Roronoa Zoro. Luffy talked about you and his many friends a lot. It’s nice to meet you in person.”

 

‘So, this is the baby’s mother.’ The knight gazed at her and then replied simply. “Yeah. Nice to meet you too.”

 

“It’s great to have you here again so soon! And where’s Shanks?” Luffy asked, his big and characteristic smile never leaving his face.

On the contrary, the young woman’s expression changed as the red-haired man was mentioned. She suddenly became sort of concerned and even though she tried to hide it, Zoro noticed.

She sighed softly and tried to smile again. “Unfortunately, Shanks couldn’t come here with me this time.”

Luffy frowned slightly in disappointment. “What? Why?”

“For the same reason we had to leave our baby in your care. We thought we could sort things out, but it turned out to be more.. complicated than expected.”

“But.. that’s unfair! He promised we’d throw a party together when he came back!”

“I know, Luffy. Believe me, he really felt sorry that he wasn’t able to do what he had promised. He… he had no choice. But, don’t worry, he’ll come to see you as soon as he can.”

Luffy pouted. He didn’t understand the situation at all, but he trusted Shanks with his life so he was sure that whatever the man was doing had to be very important. In the end, he sighed and smiled again. “Alright, I’ll wait for him here, then. I’m not going anywhere anyway. Shishishi!”

Makino always felt her heart warm up every time she saw the smile of people she loved. And Luffy’s smile was always bright and contagious. “I’m sure Shanks will be so happy to know that. He and I wanted to thank you really a lot for accepting to take care of our little son without notice. Speaking of which.. where’s him now?”

“No problem! And.. uh, I think he’s still with Sanji.”

“Oh, I see.” The young woman thought that name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t remember at the moment.

 

Then, all of a sudden..

 

“Wait.. ‘Sanji’? Y-you.. you don’t mean..”

 

“His Stupid Highness alias the shitty prince of this kingdom? Yeah, that’s the one Luffy meant.” Zoro stepped in and watched the woman blinked before her eyes widened.

“What?!! P-Prince Sanji himself has helped taking care of my baby?! Oh my god, I didn’t want this to be such a trouble for anyone, let alone the prince!”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. The shitty prince-cook insisted on doing it.”

“Shishishi! That’s right! Sanji was so happy to play with the little kid and he even made sure he slept well in his room.”

“Oh my..”

“I can go and call him if you want, uh.. I mean I guess you’d like to see your son.” Zoro said whilst rubbing the back of his neck instinctively.

And despite the embarrassment she was feeling, Makino immediately smiled and nodded at the swordsman. “Th-that’d be amazing. I just.. I hope it won’t bother His Highness too much.”

“Believe me, it won’t.” 

The green-haired knight began to walk away and he could still hear Luffy reassuring the woman again and making her laugh.

 

§§§§

 

Damn.

This damn shitty place. 

He was pretty sure that the prince’s room was around there last time he checked. But then, how comes he found himself in the royal kitchens?  
Zoro was seriously starting to lose his temper. He wasn’t used to walking around the palace since he didn’t do it often. Obviously, it had nothing to do with his sense of direction unlike a certain annoying blond would say.

He scratched his head trying to decide where he should go now. But it wasn’t easy. Why the hell did they have to move the rooms around? Honestly, it was such a pain.

In the end, the knight chose to turn around and look for the exit so he could leave. However, he soon realised that he didn’t remember where it was. It’s not like it was his fault, though. Seriously, who was the idiot who kept moving everything, even the door?

Zoro was considering using his sword to cut the wall so he could get out quickly, but then, he heard someone’s footsteps approaching. He recognised them almost immediately.

 

“Oi, moss head, what the hell are you doing here?”

 

The knight frowned slightly and turned to face the prince-cook.

“I was looking for you, stupid eyebrow.”

 

“Well, you found me- or better.. I found you, since you probably got lost.”

“Tch. Shut up.” Zoro had walked closer to the blond and was now gazing at him carefully.

“Where’s the kid?”

 

Sanji raised a brow at that and wondered why the knight would ask it, but he replied anyway. 

“He’s in my room with some maids. They were changing his diaper when I left. I came here just to make sure everything was fine, since it’s almost lunch time, but I’m actually heading back to my room now.”

 

“I’ll come with you. We gotta take that kid outside.”

 

“Hm? Why’s that?”

 

Zoro was already starting to head out of the kitchens and didn’t stop even while he spoke.

“His mother’s here.”

 

Sanji raised both his eyebrows and subconsciously began to smile. The little boy was finally going to be with his family again.

“I see. Come on, then, marimo.. the exit is THIS way, not THAT.”

 

The knight stopped and grunted, before turning around again. Eventually, he found himself following the cook outside.

 

§§§§

 

Luffy and Makino where sitting on a bench in the gardens, talking to each other. Makino felt like she had travelled back in time to when Luffy was just a child and he would run around in the village and would somehow end up in her tavern and Shanks would tease and play with him. There was never a thing such as a boring day.   
Now, time had passed and a lot of stuff had changed. But Luffy was still the same enthusiastic, cheerful, careless boy she remembered.

Then, two familiar figures came into sight. Both Makino and Luffy turned their heads to look at the men approaching.  
The young woman’s face instantly lit up when she saw her precious son. She stood up and quickly walked closer to the blond man, who was holding the baby.

The little child seemed to recognise his mother because he stretched his little arms towards her and smiled adorably.

 

“Sweetie!”

Makino carefully took him in her own arms and held him closely while smiling in a loving way.

“H-heh.. m-.. ma.. mama!”

“Yes, my love.. your mom’s here now. I’m sorry I made you wait so much.”

 

At that point, everyone was smiling upon watching such a sweet scene.   
Zoro would deny it if anyone asked, but he was really happy to see the little kid and his mother together. He didn’t know that Sanji had noticed it, even though he chose not to say anything.

When Makino lifted her head from her son, she looked at prince with wide eyes full of emotion.

“Your Highness, I.. I.. don’t even know what to say. Luffy told me you took care of my baby the whole time and.. I’ve no idea how to express my gratitude to you, sir.”

Sanji kept smiling at her and shook his head slightly as he replied gently. “You don’t have to say or do anything, my lady. It was my pleasure to look after your beautiful son. He’s really an adorable little boy.”

The young woman’s eyebrows raised in surprise. She had heard many things about the prince, but she still couldn’t believe he was being so kind to her and.. wait. What did he just call her?

“‘L-lady’? Oh, no, Your Highness.. I.. I’m just the humble owner of a small tavern- well, I was.. since my husband and I moved several months ago.”

“I understand how you might feel, but please, don’t be shy. You know.. to me, all the amazing women in the world are like beautiful angels. And so you are, Lady Makino.”

 

Zoro snorted upon hearing the prince-cook’s stupid flirting, while Luffy only grinned and began to play a little with the tiny hands of the baby, who was still in his mother’s arms. Makino, instead, was blushing softly.

“I.. th-thank you, Prince Sanji.”

“You’re very welcome, my lady. Do you mind if I ask you something?”

The young woman shook her head.

“Do you plan on staying here tonight or for a few days? I can make sure you and your baby have a nice room and you’ll be my guests. Luffy told me you’re an important person for him so I’d be happy if you decided to stay.”

“Yes, yes, Makino! That’s a great idea! Please say ‘yes’!!” Luffy immediately felt excited.

“It.. it would be truly amazing, but.. I need to go back to my village. I’m sorry, Luffy, but Shanks told me to wait for him there, even though I don’t know when he’ll come back.”

“B-but.. I wanted to play with your baby more!” Luffy pouted. He didn’t want Makino to leave already.

“Shanks is your husband, Lady Makino, right? May I ask where is he know?” Sanji stepped in. He furrowed his brows when he noticed that the woman’s expression became more.. upset.

“That’s right! You haven’t told me what he’s doing!” The young knight said.

“He.. well, actually, I don’t know exactly. Shanks said it had something to do with.. the war that’s currently affecting a few countries not far from here. All I know is that some friends of his found themselves somehow involved in this conflict and now they’re in danger. So, you know how Shanks is, Luffy.. he’s always ready to help those he cares for.. no matter what.”

“Hm, I see. He hasn’t changed even a bit, shishishi!”

Sanji felt his eyes widen as the war was mentioned. Again, that stupid, useless conflict. It was affecting his own country even though they weren’t involved in it at all. He clenched his jaw and tried not to show his sudden uneasiness. 

The swordsman was standing aloof from everyone else, but he was probably the only one who noticed the prince-cook’s change of emotions. Still, he decided not to step in. He may talk to the blond later about that matter.

 

“Lady Makino..?”

“Y-yes, Prince Sanji?” The young woman thought that she would never get used to being called like that.

“I’m sorry.. I don’t want to bother you, but I can’t help feeling a little concerned. Are you sure you’ll be fine once you get back to your village even if your husband isn’t with you?”

Makino smiled in a reassuring manner at that. “Please, do not worry for me, Your Highness. I know many people in the village who can help me and my baby if we need it. There’s Dadan, the mayor Woop Slap and even Luffy’s grandfather, Sir Garp. I’m not alone.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I wouldn’t like to insist on something but, it’d be lovely if you and your son could be my guests at lunch.”

“Oh.. well, I..”

“I don’t mean to bother you, my lady. I’d just love to cook something for you, if you’ll let me.”

 

‘Prince Sanji’s famous cooking?’ Makino almost couldn’t believe her ears. She’d get to try some food personally prepared by the prince himself! That food she has always been told to be the most delicious of all! How could anyone refuse?

“I.. I’d be truly happy to do so, Your Highness. I also want to thank you again for everything you’ve done.”

Sanji’s smile only became brighter as the young woman accepted. “No need to thank me, Lady Makino. Your happiness is all I need!”

Makino blushed again. She, Luffy and the little baby chuckled softly, while Zoro snorted upon hearing the blond’s last statement.

 

§§§§

 

That night, like they have been doing so many other times before, they met up in their very own special place.   
Both sitting on the bed, kissing each other softly and caressing their arms and faces gently. 

At some point, though, Zoro pulled away and kept his arms wrapped around the prince’s waist, despite the scowl on his face.

 

Sanji raised a brow at him. “What’s with that grumpy expression, marimo? Ah, wait.. it’s just your face.”

“Tch. Shut up, you annoying love-cook!” The knight hissed.

“Alright, I’ll try again, shitty moss head.. what’s up with you all of a sudden?”

Zoro looked kind of hesitant for a moment. Then, he finally decided to speak up. “Did that woman and her baby leave?”

“Huh? Yeah, they left after lunch. I made sure a carriage took them to their village. Why do you ask?”

“Of course you did.”

“Oi, what’s that supposed to mean? If you have something to say, just say it!”

“It’s nothing. I just thought you’ve been more irritating than the usual today.” Zoro pulled his arms away as well and crossed them over his chest.

“What?!! I’ll make you eat your words, bastard!”

“As if you could. It’s not as easy as making a fancy meal for random people.” The knight grumbled and clearly avoided looking at the blond.

Sanji frowned at that, both in confusion and annoyance. But suddenly, he felt a smirk appearing on his face. “Don’t tell me.. you’re jealous because I invited Lady Makino for lunch and cooked for her, marimo? Are you that much of an oaf– wait.. don’t answer, it’s already clear.”

“You’re imagining things, idiot-cook!! There’s no way I’m jealous of that!”

The prince knew that the knight was obviously lying and his smirk only grew wider. He ended up laughing softly while he brought a hand on the other man’s green hair and ruffled it playfully. “Sure, sure.. feel free to believe whatever helps you sleep better, moss head.”

Zoro was still scowling, but his heart couldn’t help fluttering when he heard the blond’s laughter. He cursed himself for being so weak because of that sound. He even felt a bit disappointed when the prince pulled his hand away and sighed before letting himself fall backwards on the bed.   
Zoro laid down there, staring at the ceiling of the little house, while Sanji was still sitting on the edge of the bed. They enjoyed the comfortable silence between them for a little.

 

“Do you think you’ll miss that kid?”

 

Sanji’s eyebrows raised at the unexpected question. “You mean Lady Makino’s baby? Well, It was really nice taking care of him, but I’m happy that he’s with his mother now.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Do you miss him?”

 

“What? NO– I mean.. why would I miss a little kid I saw once in my life.”

 

“That’s not the point. You can’t tell me that he wasn’t absolutely adorable. Luffy, Usopp and Chopper all grew fond of him and how can you blame them? That baby’s just so cute!”

 

“You almost sound like you want to have one.”

 

“Well, maybe not now, but one day..” Sanji could actually imagine himself as a father. He’d love to have his own children to bring up. Plus, there was also another important reason..

“And I can’t forget that I’m the prince of this kingdom. One of my duties is to ensure to produce an heir to the throne.”

 

The knight visibly tensed upon hearing that statement. It was the kind of topic he’d gladly avoid, mostly because he didn’t want to think about what it implied. Sometimes he’d just rather forget about his and the blond’s status and how their conditions would certainly end up affecting their relationship.   
There was no need to worry now. After all, there was still a lot of time, wasn’t there?

Instinctively, Zoro looked in the direction of the prince-cook, who was gazing at him with an unsure expression.

 

“What?”

 

“You suddenly got quiet.”

 

“It’s not like I’m usually talkative–”

 

“Is it because I said I’d like to have a baby and make them the heir?”

 

The knight frowned at that and finally lifted himself to sit properly again next to the blond. But, he didn’t turn to him.

Sanji felt tensed too as he noticed that the marimo was avoiding looking at him.

 

“Zoro.. look, we don’t have to discuss something like that now..”

 

“You need a woman to be able to have your own kids.”

 

“Well, that’s.. I mean, usually there must be two people of opposite sex, but–”

 

“‘But’? Don’t play dumb, shitty cook!”

 

“No, I’m serious. There IS a way for same-sex couples to have babies of their own!”

 

This time, Zoro did turn to look at the blond. “Explain.”

 

Sanji sighed. 

“Alright, listen carefully.” The prince decided to tell the knight the same story he had learned when he was a few years younger. At that time, his daily routine included taking long lessons and studying the whole genealogy of his family. It was important to know everything about his ancestors, as they had ruled the kingdom before his father and himself.   
One day, through the reading of different books, he found out something he didn’t expect. At a certain point in the history of the royal family, a young princess (who was around Sanji’s current age) found herself leading the country alone, due to the death of her parents. She was a great ruler, despite the difficulties she had to face. First of all, it was vital for the kingdom’s stability to produce an heir. The problem was that the princess was in love with her lady-in-waiting. Officially there was nothing that prevented them from getting married, since in the All Blue Kingdom same-sex marriage was widely accepted. However, the princess had to ensure to continue the bloodline. The two women didn’t know what to do, until someone went to help them.  
The book Sanji had studied described it as a mythical creature. He had made research and read books that talked about a fairy, or a ‘mysterious but good’ witch. In any case, thanks to their magical powers, the princess was able to get pregnant. So, she and her lover finally got married and the country was ruled by two beautiful queens.

 

“And that’s the story of my great-great-grandmothers.”

 

Zoro was now looking at the prince-cook with wide eyes. He wasn’t sure whether to believe what he has just been told.

 

“I know it all sounds strange, but it happened. And not only once. I even asked my old man and he said it’s true. Apparently, this.. creature has been protecting and serving the royal family and its members for a long time, maybe since its origin.”

 

“Does it also.. work for males?” Zoro asked before he could stop himself. 

 

“Uh, well, from what I’ve read.. yes. It can be possible even for men to conceive a child.”

 

It sounded incredible. There was really a chance that the cook didn’t need a woman to produce an heir. That meant..

“So, we could have our own kids if we wanted, one day..” Again, Zoro spoke without thinking. But as soon as he realised what he just said, he blushed deeply and quickly averted his gaze from the blond, who had the same reaction.

 

“W-wh-what’re you saying, stupid marimo!!” Sanji exclaimed, all embarrassed.

 

“I-I just.. ugh– it’s your fault, shitty eyebrow!! You’re confusing me!”

 

“How’s it my fault, idiot knight!!”

 

Their faces were both bright red now and they quickly found themselves standing up and starting to fight.  
Zoro threw a fist in the cook’s direction, but Sanji rapidly dodged it and immediately responded by aiming a kick at the swordsman’s head. However, the green-haired man ducked and got ready to attack again.

 

“I don’t need my sword to defeat you, dumbass!!”

 

“You wouldn’t defeat me even if you HAD it!!”

 

“Oh, yeah?! Look how I punch you in your shitty face!”

 

“Keep dreaming, shithead!”

 

They were frowning at each other, gritting their teeth. Sanji was about to kick the marimo again, but Zoro moved faster and jumped towards the blond, enfolding his waist in his arms and throwing both of them on the bed.

 

“OUCH! WHAT THE HELL– GET OFF ME!!” The prince yelled as soon as he landed on the mattress. But, apparently, the knight had no intention to do so. After a few moments, Sanji realised something wasn’t right. The marimo’s face was buried in his chest and he refused to speak or even look up at him. Sanji sighed and whispered:

“Oi, moss head..”

 

Slowly, Zoro lifted himself on his knees and placed his hands next to the sides of the cook’s head.  
When he finally gazed down, the prince immediately noticed the unusually troubled and uneasy expression the swordsman had. Was he.. worried about something? Now that Sanji thought about it, the marimo has been acting strange today.

 

“I was stupid.”

 

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

 

“It’s about my origins, isn’t it?”

 

The blond’s visible eyebrow raised at that. “You keep saying weird things out of nowhere tonight.”

 

The knight seemed to ignore him and continued. “I was stupid to let myself believe it could work. Even if I wanted..”

 

“I don’t get what you–”

 

“The story you just told me about your ancestors.. they.. were all nobles and royalty, weren’t they?”

 

“Uh, yeah, but..”

 

“The reason why our relationship cannot last.. is because of my humble origins.”

 

Sanji felt his eyes widen then. “What?! Why are you bringing that up now?”

 

“When you talked about your duty and desire to have kids.. you were also talking about your future.. and I’m.. not allowed to be part of it. The sooner we realise and accept it, the bette– WHA– ”

 

With a swift movement of hips and the help of his strong legs, Sanji quickly swapped their positions and pinned the knight down beneath him. 

 

“O-oi!”

 

“It’s true.”

 

Zoro’s brows furrowed slightly as he looked up at the blond. He waited for the other to continue.

 

“It’s true. Your origins are the problem. In all its history, no one but blue-blooded people were allowed to rule this country. And everyone has always respected and trusted the royal family, whose members have always pursued peace and stability for the kingdom. So.. people won’t easily accept someone they consider a ‘commoner’ to lead them. However..”

 

The prince lifted his gaze to meet Zoro’s. In that moment, the knight noticed a spark of electric blue twinkling in Sanji’s visible eye. 

 

“.. they don’t know you. Not yet. And if they begin to trust you, maybe, we’ll manage to change that stupid rule.”

 

Zoro closed his eyes and took a deep breath, processing the blond’s words. Maybe there was a chance then. Maybe there was hope for them. He has never cared about what others thought of him, but now it was different.  
When he reopened his eyes, he also lifted himself up and reached out to touch the prince-cook’s cheek gently. He smiled.

 

“A king needs the loyalty of his people to be able to do his job well. It’s just like the relationship between a commander and his soldiers.”

 

Sanji stroke the marimo’s hand affectionately. And smiled back at him. “Yeah, just like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so curious to know your opinions about the new mysterious character!
> 
> Also, what do you think about the conversation between our beloved idiots?


	5. Love 2

Honestly, he didn’t know why he agreed to this. 

Yesterday night, the prince-cook told him he had to go downtown the following morning to buy some fresh ingredients for his recipes and asked Zoro to go with him so he could “carry all the stuff and at least try to be less useless than the usual”. The knight obviously got annoyed at that statement, but he decided it wouldn’t hurt to do something different once in a while.

Outside of the royal palace the prince wasn’t allowed to be alone, even though the country was one of the most peaceful and its people were very happy with the royal family. It was actually more like a formality, but Sanji couldn’t do anything about it. However, since he wasn’t a child anymore, he got to choose those who would accompany him whenever he wanted to go on a trip somewhere.  
It was also a good way to spend time together without raising suspicion.

Thus, they have met up at the stables early in the morning, as they decided to ride the horses to go to town. Zoro has arrived later than he should have, but then again, that was to be expected.

What the knight didn’t expect was to find that guy, that ex-thug, there too. Gin has been working at the stables of the royal palace since Prince Sanji offered him the job. The dark-haired man, who was at the verge of starving at that time, has been immensely grateful and claimed to be ready to dedicate the rest of his life to the prince, who had saved it. However, it wasn’t hard to see that Gin developed much more than simple admiration and gratitude towards his saviour. At least Zoro had noticed the way that guy looked at the prince-cook, and he never liked it.  
Gin was also the only person who knew about their secret relationship. He has involuntarily witnessed them making out with each other in the stables, just a few days after they expressed their true feelings for each other. They have learnt to be much more careful since then.

Although Gin knew who Sanji belonged to, Zoro couldn’t help feeling slightly irritated by his presence. But here he was. Riding his horse while the prince and that ex-thug were riding their own and the three of them were heading downtown all together.

When they arrived at the local market they all got off their horses. After making sure to leave the animals in a safe place, the three men began to walk through the streets.  
People would smile and wave at the prince as soon as they saw him and of course Sanji would greet them back happily, especially if they were beautiful women. People in the village were used to seeing their prince walking among them since they knew that he liked to buy things at the market.

At some point, Sanji noticed a fruit stand and decided to stop there. He exchanged a few words with the seller and then, he began to inspect the various types of fruit in order to choose the most perfect to buy. Sanji was so focused that he didn’t even notice Gin’s gaze on him. The dark-haired man has never looked away from the blond since they left the palace. He was standing next to him, his eyes following every movement of the prince’s hands or focusing on his handsome features.

“These peaches look particularly juicy.”

“They do, Your Highness. I’m sure whatever you pick will taste amazing.”

 

Zoro stood just behind them, arms crossed and a scowl on his face. He didn’t like at all the closeness between the two men and he just wanted to push that ex-thug away from the prince-cook, but he knew he couldn’t do that. They were surrounded by many people and attracting more attention than normal would be unnecessary and it would’ve just managed to make the blond angry.  
The knight grunted and tried to control himself. Then, he sensed someone approaching him.

 

“Excuse me, sir?”

 

Zoro turned to look at the source of that soft voice. A young brunette was smiling shyly at him and she also had a blush across her cheeks. 

 

“Hm, what is it?” 

“Uh, you see.. my friends and I were just wondering if you.. I mean, are you.. Roronoa Zoro, the famous and young swordsman who serves as a knight at the royal palace?”

 

The knight raised a brow at her and then he noticed a group of girls a few meters from them. They turned away and giggled as soon as Zoro looked at them, though.

“Huh.. yeah, I am.”

“I knew it! It’s a real honour to see you in person, sir!” The girl got really excited all of a sudden, but then she seemed to realise something and blushed again. “Ah, forgive my enthusiasm, please, I just.. my friends and I have heard a lot about you and.. we were curious to meet you!”

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck a little awkwardly, not knowing what to think or say about that. He didn’t actually get a chance to reply, because soon the other girls approached them.

“I can’t believe it!!”

“It’s THE Roronoa Zoro!”

“Oh my, he is so..”

“Look at his muscles!!”

“Just as expected from such a strong knight!”

 

‘The hell..?’ Zoro found himself completely surrounded by those yelling and overly excited girls. They were far too close and even began to touch his biceps insistently, which only annoyed Zoro more. 

 

“Sir, we love you so much!”

“Please, take me to the palace with you!” 

“What.. oi, stop it..!” The knight looked confusedly in all directions, trying his best to tear himself away from there, but it was like he has been trapped and couldn’t escape. He wondered what was wrong with those persistent girls and what in the world they wanted from him. Really he didn’t want to use force to get away, even though it was getting more and more irritating for him.

 

“MARIMO!!”

 

Zoro froze for a moment. His gaze shifted from the girl who has grabbed his arm to the blond prince, who stood not far from the group and the poor swordsman. The cook was tapping his foot on the ground while chewing on the cigarette in his mouth, his eyes were narrowed. He didn’t seem very happy. Slowly, Sanji took a few steps forwards and the knight gulped.

“What do you think you’re doing fooling around like this?! Is it too much to ask you one simple task? And stop bothering these lovely ladies!”

 

Zoro blinked a few times. “What? It’s not my fault, idiot prince! It’s them who came to me and started bother–”

 

“I’m so sorry, my beautiful flowers. I hope this dumb swordsman didn’t annoy you too much.” Sanji wasn’t even listening to the knight’s reply. Instead, his attention had already shifted to the young women and he was currently holding a girl’s hand before kissing it gently.

 

“Tsk. Shitty bastard.” Zoro muttered, crossing his arms as he was finally free from the girls’ grasps.

 

“Prince Sanji! It’s always a pleasure to see you in our village!”

“Your Highness, please don’t be mad at Sir Roronoa.. he wasn’t bothering us at all.”

“That’s right, my prince.. we were just admiring how strong a knight of yours can be!”

“Oh, I see. Sure, I understand, my ladies and I’d really love to spend more time with you, but unfortunately we have got so much to do and we have to go now. I do hope to see you again soon!”

“Of course, Your Highness!” The girls exclaimed all together.

 

Zoro raised a brow at the scene before him, but he didn’t hesitate to follow the prince once he saw him walking away from the group.

 

“Goodbye, Sir Roronoa!”

“Please, don’t forget about us!!”

“We’ll look forward to see you again!”

 

The knight just ignored them and kept walking alongside the blond. He also noticed Gin (who was holding a bag) following quietly just behind the two of them.

They went on in silence for a while. Zoro saw the prince-cook lighting up another cigarette after he had finished to smoke the previous one. It was clear enough that he was somewhat pissed and the swordsman had a feeling he had something to do with it, even though he didn’t know what.

“Alright, what’s up with you now?”

 

Sanji refused to look at him and acted like he hadn’t heard anything.

 

Okay, that was becoming ridiculous. “Come on, cook.. speak up. I know you’ve something to say.”

There was another moment of silence, but then, finally the prince spoke. “I can’t believe it. I asked you to come with me today and help with the groceries and what do you do? You wander off like a lost idiot who can’t even do his job as knight like he’s supposed to!”

“What.. what are you talking about?! I didn’t move from where you were! I was just standing behind you until this girl began to speak to me, but I didn’t go anywhere!!”

“But still, you let your guard down while escorting your prince! And you were also distracted when you saw those pretty ladies!” The blond had finally turned to him and now he was almost yelling at the knight’s face.

Zoro was staring at him, confused, incredulous. Then, suddenly, a realisation hit him. And he couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on his face. “Are you serious? Is it what this is all about, shitty prince? You’re just jealous because some random girls were worshipping me.”

“Wh-what? That’s not- I mean.. I just don’t understand how those beautiful ladies could find someone like YOU interesting, especially while I, a PRINCE, was there.” Sanji looked away then, and he hoped the swordsman didn’t notice that his cheeks flushed.

“Is that so?” The green-haired man’s smirk only grew wider while he moved closer to the other to whisper something. “Or, maybe, it’s just that you want all of my attention on you. And you don’t like when I look at someone who’s not you, but you’re such an idiot because you should know that I only have eyes for you.”

 

At that point, Sanji’s face was almost completely red. He looked around, feeling a bit nervous and then, he whispered too, when he replied. 

“Don’t say things like that while we’re in the middle of a street, stupid marimo!”

 

Zoro’s expression didn’t change and he felt even smugger now. He moved his head a little forward and he could almost feel the blond’s breath against his cheek. 

 

“What if I say I want to kiss you right now?”

 

‘Shit.’ Sanji instantly felt his heartbeat increase and didn’t know what to do. “We can’t.. Zoro, not here.”

 

When he lifted his gaze, the prince noticed the swordsman’s smirk had disappeared and he also caught a glimpse of resignation in those brown eyes. Sanji’s expression softened then and he gave him an apologetic smile. He couldn’t even promise him that they would meet at night, because the blond had already spent a couple of nights away from the palace and he couldn’t risk too many times. So, at least that night, they wouldn’t be able to see each other.   
When Sanji spoke again, he did it in a sweet whisper.

“Later.. after we go back to the palace.. let’s stay together at the stables, until dinner time.”

 

That seemed to work just fine for the knight, whose face lit up at those words and he took a few steps backwards to give the prince some space.

They were still looking in each other’s eyes when they heard a cough and immediately turned their heads to look at the man who had just awkwardly caught their attention. They almost forgot that there was also Gin there.

 

“Uh, I think we better hurry now. There’s still a lot I’ve to buy and we haven’t got much time. And you, marimo, make sure to help Gin carrying all the stuff.”

“Whatever.” Zoro snorted and glanced at the dark-haired man, who simply shrugged and smirked slightly. Together they started moving again and looked for other stands.

They continued for the whole afternoon.

 

§§§§

 

As the prince-cook promised him, he and Zoro spent some time at the stables, just the two of them, sharing their love intimately. They knew that Gin, who was finishing to do his job outside, would warn them in case he saw someone approaching the place, so they had nothing to worry about, this time.   
After that, they parted and headed to different places. Zoro went to the dining hall and ate with Luffy and Usopp. Sanji went to the royal restaurant and cooked amazing meals as always and then, he ate something himself after the restaurant closed.

It had been a long day and the prince was now exhausted. He just looked forward to go to bed and get some rest. In fact, he was walking through the corridors of the palace, heading to his private chamber.

He was about to pass by the king’s room when he heard something coming from the other side of the door and he decided to stop. Sanji thought his father would’ve been already asleep – it was past midnight after all – but apparently he was wrong. King Zeff was still awake and he was also talking to someone in his room.

 

“.. and our borders were attacked again, Your Majesty.”

 

Sanji almost flinched. ‘Attacked?’ Did it have something to do with the war? That was very likely. But, why were they discussing it now? Did something else happened? Was their country in danger? Every time the blond prince thought about it, he immediately boiled with rage.  
It wasn’t his intention to eavesdrop, but – even though they had talked about that matter at breakfast – he couldn’t help wondering if there were other news he should know.

 

“Are you still sure we must keep that secret from Prince Sanji, my king?”

 

The blond tensed as he heard the next words, which probably came from one of the ministers who often advised the king. ‘A secret?’ Did that mean his father was hiding something from him?   
No. He couldn’t accept it.

 

When the door burst open, the three men inside the room immediately turned to the person who suddenly broke in.

 

“Your Highness!?”

 

“What are you doing here, eggplant?!”

 

“Don’t call me like that, you old geezer!!”

 

“Prince Sanji! You cannot speak to the king like–”

 

“Forget it, Patty. This disrespectful brat will never learn.”

 

There were a few moments of silence. The prince looked around briefly. His gaze fell on the desk in front of where his father was sitting. There were some papers on it, but it was all messy as if someone had just tried to search for something. Or, perhaps, to hide something.

Sanji walked closer and glanced at his old man before looking down at the papers. They were mostly documents, the kind of official papers the king needed to sign. But there was also something different which caught the blond’s attention.  
His father’s hand was partially covering it, but Sanji could tell it was a letter. He wondered if it had something to do with the secret they were talking about and if that was true, then the prince had to know. It was is right and duty to know everything about his country. And he had a feeling this is exactly what it was about. He reached out to take the letter, but the hand that was keeping it down didn’t withdraw.

Sanji glared at his old man. “Let go.”

The king narrowed his eyes, but then sighed. It was no use hiding it now. “I should’ve burnt it as soon as it arrived.” He muttered, the regret in his voice was clear.

When the prince finally took the letter and began to read it the whole room went quiet again. Carne, the Minister for Defence, and Patty, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, watched in silence while feeling bad for their king as they knew his reasons for keeping that secret from his son.

Sanji bit his bottom lip rather harshly and his hands began to shake while he was still holding the letter. He tightened his grip, crumpling the paper up.  
When he put the letter down on the desk, he didn’t meet his father’s gaze.

 

“Invite him here.”

 

“No.”

 

“I’m not asking.”

 

“And I’m still the king here, so you cannot–”

 

“This is not about you! It’s not about me either! It’s about the future of our kingdom!!”

 

King Zeff stood up quickly and slammed his wooden leg on the desk causing everyone in room to startle. “Do you really think I don’t know that?!! Do you think I haven’t considered all the options?!”

 

Sanji continued to avoid looking at his old man. “If you have, then you know there’s nothing else we can do. This is the only solution..”

 

“I’m NOT sacrificing my only son’s happiness because of a stupid war!!”

 

“THAT’S NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE!”

 

The prince panted slightly after yelling at his own father. Both the ministers chose not to intervene as they understood that a stubborn decision had already been made.  
Sanji turned around and walked towards the door, but he stopped before stepping out of there.

 

“Invite him here.”

 

When the prince had closed the door behind him, Patty and Carne turned to their king. Zeff seemed rather shaken due to what had just happened. He sat on his chair again, letting out a frustrated sigh.

 

“Damn brat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are always highly appreciated!!
> 
> I hope you like the story so far ;)


	6. War 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big revelations in this chapter!

Last time he saw him was two days ago. They trained together in the morning and sparred again in the afternoon like they usually did. But after that, nothing. They didn’t even get to talk properly. Zoro knew how busy the prince-cook was sometimes and he also noticed some commotion all around the royal palace recently, meaning that something was going on. The knight had no idea what it was about and he actually wasn’t much interested in it. However he couldn’t help wondering if the blond was all right and when they’d get to spend some time together.   
Yesterday he didn’t even see him at all, which was strange because the prince never skipped his workout.  
And today as well Zoro haven’t seen him yet. He was currently outside, about to finish his own workout session. He had already taken off his shirt an hour ago and his body was all sweaty. He decided to do some more push-ups before going and taking a shower. 

That was when he saw someone running in his direction. It soon became clear that person was Usopp and he also seemed to be in a hurry more than the usual.   
Once his friend reached him, the swordsman stood and waited for the guard to catch his breath.

Usopp bent over, placing his hands on his knees while he panted due to both the running and the fact that his heart was beating fast in his chest. When he finally looked up at his friend, Zoro noticed his anxious expression.

“Oi, Usopp, calm down.. what happened?”

 

“I.. he.. I mean.. the prince wants.. to see you..” He managed to say. When did he become an official messenger again? He was a guard of the royal palace, damnit.

 

Zoro felt surprised upon hearing that and hoped his own voice didn’t sound too worried when he spoke. “Is there anything wrong?”

 

“I don’t know. He just.. he told me that he needed to see you.. and asked me to tell you to meet him in the place that you know. He also said it’s urgent, but.. right now he’s busy so I think he’ll meet you after lunch.”

 

The knight frowned slightly. If the blond wanted to meet him in private, why did he ask Usopp to tell him about it? Was he really that busy? Maybe he hasn’t had the time to speak to him and he didn’t want to wait till night to go to the little house. Thinking about it, they haven’t slept together for the past three nights.  
Zoro knew that the place Usopp referred to was somewhere at the rear of the stables. It was hidden and discreet enough or, in other words, perfect for him and the blond prince whenever they wanted to meet without being seen by anyone else.

“Okay, thanks for telling me.”

 

The knight was already walking away, towards the military quarters, when Usopp called him.

“Zoro, is it about another secret mission?”

 

The swordsman stopped and looked at the guard with a serious gaze. “I’ve no idea.”

And it was true. Zoro didn’t know why the prince asked to see him in that way, which he had never done since they.. began their affair.   
He really hoped he was wrong, but he didn’t have a good feeling about this.

 

§§§§

 

Meanwhile, somewhere in the middle of the ocean..

 

“Pardon me, Your Highness.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“I just wanted to inform you that we’ve almost reached the All Blue Kingdom, sir. If we keep this speed, also thanks to the advantageous wind, we expect our ship to arrive there tomorrow morning.”

 

The corner of his mouth lifted in a sly smile. He had waited for that moment for a long time and when finally he received the reply he desired, he immediately ordered to set sail from his own country to reach the other as soon as possible. 

“That’s perfect. Now get out of my sight and go back to your job.”

 

“As you wish, my prince.”

 

The man left and the prince found himself alone with his thoughts. The sea breeze was blowing gently. He raised his hand to bring a lock of hair behind his ear and continued to look at sight before him, with satisfied expression on his face.

 

‘I can’t wait to see you again, Prince Sanji.’

 

§§§§

 

Zoro left the dining hall before anyone else. He didn’t eat much and even gave Luffy some of his food, which the younger knight devoured without a word.

The swordsman struggled a little to find the right place, even though he had been there before. However, in the end he managed to arrive not too late. And, as he had expected, the blond was already there.

 

“Hey.”

 

Sanji had heard the knight coming and had turned to face him. “Hi.”

 

Zoro thought it was a bit strange that the cook didn’t scold him for being late, but he certainly didn’t complain. He moved closer to the other while speaking. “So.. Usopp said you wanted to see me.”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Why did you send him to me? You could’ve told me yourself.”

 

“Sorry, I’ve been pretty busy.”

 

“Yeah, I thought so. We haven’t been together much in last few days. I barely saw you.”

 

The blond sighed and Zoro suddenly noticed that he was tensed and that he was also avoiding his gaze.

 

“Is something wrong, curly?”

 

Sanji clenched his hands, trying to keep it together. He took a deep breath and, finally, looked up at the swordsman. “Zoro.. I.. I wanted to see you here because I have something very important to tell you.”

 

The knight felt a little taken aback by that sudden seriousness as he couldn’t imagine what was going on, but he was more than willing to listen and understand. He nodded as a sign for the prince to continue.

The blond once again averted his eyes from the other man and took another deep breath. Zoro saw the discomfort in his expression and he wanted nothing but take whatever was bothering him away and replace it with all the happiness the prince truly deserved.  
With that thought, Zoro reached out to hold the blond’s hand. However, Sanji withdrew his own hand, not letting the swordsman touch it and leaving him even more confused than before.

 

“Cook, what..”

 

“I’m getting married.”

 

The prince spoke in a low voice and Zoro wasn’t sure he heard well. “Wait, what did you say?”

 

Sanji gazed at him again. “I’m getting married, Zoro. My.. my fiancé will come here soon.”

 

Zoro waited for it. He waited for a laughter, a playful smirk, a mocking smile, anything that could tell him it was all a joke. But nothing like that came. He was still trying to process those words when he found himself speaking again, out of instinct.

“How long did you..”

 

“Three days.”

 

“So, you got engaged three days ago and didn’t tell me anything?”

 

“That’s not.. it wasn’t like that.”

 

“Then, how?” He was trying to keep his voice low, because he was afraid that if he didn’t control it, he would scream. Because that’s what he wanted to do right now. Instead, Zoro gritted his teeth and waited.

 

“I found a letter my old man was hiding from me. It was from a prince of a nearby kingdom.. he.. wrote to offer to form an alliance.. and try to stop the war together. In exchange for his protection and military help.. he.. he demanded that I accept to marry him.”

 

“And you.. you accepted..”

 

“I did. I wanted to tell you immediately, but.. I lacked the courage, so.. I waited, till now.” Sanji’s whole body was slightly shaking and he felt a lump in his throat.

“Z-Zoro.. please, believe me.. I wish.. I wish there was another way.”

 

A burning feeling began to grow in the swordsman’s chest and he was suddenly aware of the fact that he was clenching his fists so much that his knuckles became white. 

“I was such a fool.”

He found himself staring at the ground, unable to meet the blond’s gaze. “I’ve always known this thing between us.. wasn’t supposed to last. Still, I let myself believe.. I let myself hope.. like a fool..”

 

“Zoro..”

 

With a great effort, the knight glanced at the man in front of him, but instantly looked away. The sight of his prince’s tearful expression was too much to bear, especially now that he couldn’t hold him close anymore.

“We.. I should’ve expected it, but.. what I cannot stand is knowing that you don’t trust me anymore.. as a knight.”

 

Sanji felt his eyes widen at that statement. “What.. what are you saying?”

 

When Zoro lifted his gaze again with more determination, his eyes were dark and he spoke in an angrier voice than he would’ve liked. “I can’t believe you stopped trusting me, the other knights, your entire army.. we’d be all ready to fight and die for you and yet, you think we’re not enough? You think you need someone else’s protection to deal with the conflict?!”

 

The prince was startled and completely taken aback by the knight’s choice of words. He stared at him for a long moment. 

“You don’t understand. How can you say that I don’t trust you and the other knights? I’m well aware of how strong and brave you all are, but that’s not enough to stop a war. Our army is not large and the enemies are dangerous, ruthless.. and close.” 

 

It was the truth and Zoro knew it. The All Blue Kingdom has never cared about spreading its boundaries or going to war, and it has always used money to improve people’s well-being and living standards. The country had an army only for defence and, even though its men were skilled, there weren’t many. Zoro knew it very well. However, he hated that the prince had been obliged to ask for someone else’s help. He hated that he couldn’t do anything about it. He hated that he had to say goodbye.

 

“I’ve to protect my people, Zoro. Many lives have already been taken. I can’t let that happen again.”

 

“I..” The knight’s mind travelled back to a few weeks before, when he received the news of his friends’ death. He understood the blond’s reasons. But there was still something that bothered him. This time, he looked at the man in front of him with sincere concern in his eyes. “Do you know him?”

 

A few seconds passed before Sanji understood what the swordsman meant. He wasn’t sure whether he should’ve expected that question. He took his lighter from the pocket of his pants and lit up a cigarette, which he desperately needed right now. 

“Kind of. I’ve met him before, but we haven’t had that much interaction.” He tried to be honest, even though his answer was rather vague.

 

“Why does he want to marry you, then?” Zoro was trying his best to remain calm, but the harsh tone of his voice risked to betray him.

 

“I.. don’t know.”

 

“Liar.”

 

“How dare you, shitty moss head?!”

 

“What’s the point in telling more lies NOW, shitty prince?!!”

 

“I’ve never lied to you, you fuckin’ idiot!!”

 

They had both got into fighting stances, facing each other as when they were about to spar. This time, though, the glimmer of pure excitement was replaced by gravity and uneasiness, reflected in their eyes.

 

“You just did.”

 

Sanji slowly took a step back after hearing what the swordsman said. His whole body was still tense and he took a long drag of his cigarette, before deciding he had had enough.  
He didn’t glance at the swordsman as he passed by him, with the intention of heading back to the palace. “If that’s what you think, we’ve nothing more to talk about.”

 

Zoro didn’t reply and didn’t try to stop him. Maybe for a matter of pride, he also closed his eyes and didn’t even look at the prince walking away. He just stood there without moving, for a while.

The knight wasn’t sure how long it had been when he finally opened his eyes and, as if he had woken from a trance, he looked around briefly and suddenly realised what had just happened.

The prince-cook. His blond prince-cook had left. He was going to get married to someone Zoro assumed he didn’t even like, for the sake of his own country. And Zoro couldn’t do anything about it.

He clenched his jaw tight and lifted his arm and with a rapid movement, his fist connected with the wall next to him, the impact so strong that it generated a sudden gust of wind.   
But the swordsman didn’t scream, his voice lost in his throat as he glanced at the crack in the wall and at the blood dripping from his hand. He couldn’t care less about it, though.

 

§§§§

 

It was early in the morning when they arrived. Their ship docked at the port and after unloading various items, they got a carriage to head towards the royal palace without wasting time.  
The prince knew the journey wouldn’t take long. As a matter of fact, they managed to get there before lunch time.

Waiting for them at the entrance to the palace, there were the king and the prince of the All Blue Kingdom themselves and also a few other people, probably the ministers and some servants.

The foreign prince got off the carriage and made his way towards the entryway, followed by his entourage. His back straightened, his chin slightly lifted, his smirk overly smug and his pink hair was well-combed and a little bit long, but not enough to hide the scar under his right eye. He was wearing a white pinstripe suit certainly made of some luxurious material. Everything in his appearance gave off the idea of excessive confidence, which lead to something very close to arrogance.

He walked forwards and stopped once he was in front of the royal family. Both King Zeff and Prince Sanji acknowledged him with a respectful nod. The foreign prince nodded as well, his gaze immediately directed at the young blond.

 

“We are glad to welcome you here in our home, the All Blue Kingdom.” The king spoke first, his expression and tone neutral, not giving away any particular emotion. “We would also like you to know that we are willing to offer you and your guests our best hospitality.”

 

The pink-haired prince turned to the older man for a moment. “I am sure of that. To tell you the truth, I have been looking forward to come here today.”   
He looked at the younger again, his expression somehow amused. And he leant closer. “I see the wait was worth it. You are even more beautiful than I remembered, Prince Sanji.. how long has it been? Two years? I think you were seventeen when I saw you last time.”

 

Sanji didn’t flinch or move. He just eyed the man in front of him with as much neutrality as he could master, trying to act normal and ignoring the uncomfortable feeling that was already rising within him. “It is good to see that you managed to arrive so soon, Prince Fullbody.”

 

The king cleared his throat and the two princes turned to him.

“I think we shall go inside now. Can we expect to have you as our guest at lunch later?”

 

The foreign prince nodded without hesitation, the small mischievous smirk never leaving his face. “It would my pleasure and honour to taste the amazing cuisine of this country after so much time.” 

The blond prince had to restrain himself not to glare at their guest.

Fullbody turned around and gestured his own servants to take care of his belongings, before the three men headed inside the palace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so.. I've to admit that writing certain parts of this story actually breaks my heart, but I gotta do it.
> 
> Anyway, please let me know what you think about this chapter, I always love reading your comments!
> 
> Also, I posted this earlier than the usual because the next one is going to take more time. I apologise in advance for making you wait more for the other chapters.


	7. Love 3

There was some bustle at the port that morning. He looked around at the people rushing in all directions, wondering why everyone looked so busy. 

Although he spent most of his time at the stables, taking care of the horses, Gin occasionally went to the port of the main town and helped other servants with their tasks or simply enjoyed his free time there. He immediately noticed that something was different from the usual. At the palace, he had heard that someone important was going to arrive, but he didn’t know if all of that preparation was actually necessary. However, if Prince Sanji and the king himself ordered people to be ready to greet this ‘important someone’, they must have had their reasons. Certainly, Gin had blind faith in his prince, his saviour. He had devoted himself to him entirely since the day Prince Sanji has given him food and a job.

Gin was about to get moving and go back to the palace, when he heard something that immediately caught his attention.

 

“So, it that true? Prince Sanji is getting married?”

 

What.

 

“That’s it, apparently. They haven’t made an official announcement yet, but I think they will soon.”

 

“I can’t believe it! It’s just so sudden.”

 

“I know. I was shocked when I found out that our prince’s future spouse is coming today. He should be here in a few hours or less.”

 

What. What the hell was going on? Was that true or were they just rumours? It sounded a bit too specific to be completely false, though. Gin was pretty confused.

He better hurry and go back to the palace as soon as possible.

 

§§§§

 

Zoro couldn’t sleep. He lay on the bed of his and Luffy’s room in the military quarters of the royal palace and, even though it was the middle of the night, he couldn’t fall asleep. Not after what happened that afternoon.

Thus, he decided to get up – careful not to wake his friend, but he doubted Luffy would ever wake up even if he wasn’t quiet – and went outside. He hadn’t actually thought about where to go, but he didn’t want to stay there. As he walked around randomly, however, he realised his feet had led him into the woods. And the path he had almost unconsciously taken wasn’t just any path. As a matter of fact, he soon found himself in front of the little wooden house.

Zoro stopped. Although he didn’t manage to sleep, it didn’t mean he wasn’t tired. He sighed and decided to go in there. He opened the door and looked around, as if he didn’t already know the place like the back of his hand. He sat on the edge of the bed and let himself fall backwards. He just lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling. 

 

As he could’ve predicted, various memories connected with that place began to fill his mind.

 

He closed his eyes. If he concentrated enough he could still smell a certain blond’s beautiful scent. 

 

Not a very good idea.

 

There was not much he could do about it, though. Zoro had tried. And he was still trying not to think about him, but it was impossible. Like it was impossible to ignore the pain.

Zoro frowned and clenched his fists onto the sheets.

 

 

‘They don’t know you.’

 

 

‘We’ll manage to change that stupid rule.’

 

 

‘I love you, Zoro.’

 

Zoro felt his heart ache. 

 

Lies. They were all lies.

 

 

‘Out of all the realities I could choose, you are my favourite dream.’

 

 

A dream. That was all Zoro could hope to be for the prince. A dream that couldn’t come true.   
He had heard Sanji whispering those words to him one night, right there, in the little house. The blond probably thought Zoro was asleep, but he wasn’t. He heard him clearly, but he chose neither to react or reply.

Now, he was there alone. And he knew. From the very beginning, he knew this would have happened. Yet, he decided to believe in a foolish, beautiful, impossible dream.

Now, the reality had hit him. And he woke up, lost like he had never been in his life before.

 

 

‘Sanji..’

 

§§§§

 

Apparently no one had seen him. Gin had already asked many knights and a few guards, but nobody could tell him where Roronoa Zoro was. The dark-haired man noticed the surprised faces of the people he talked to when they realised Zoro didn’t even take part in the training session that morning. That was very strange, according to all of them.

Meanwhile, Gin had managed to confirm his doubts. What he heard at the port was true. Prince Sanji would get married soon to a foreign prince who arrived at the royal palace not long after Gin did.

He couldn’t help wondering. Gin knew he was likely the only one aware of the relationship between his prince and that knight. And he couldn’t help wondering what had happened and what Roronoa thought about this marriage thing. Was he somehow involved? Had they fought? Broken up? Had he hurt Prince Sanji? Because if he had, Gin wasn’t going to let him get away with it.  
However, for some reason, he didn’t think that was the case.

He had to talk to him. But how could he, if that knight seemed to have disappeared.

There was only one possibility left. Gin wasn’t sure he wanted to try it, but he had no choice. He gathered all his courage and started to walk towards the woods.

 

§§§§

 

Zoro didn’t know how long he had been lying down there. When he opened his eyes and looked outside it seemed to be late in the morning.   
Shit. He had missed his morning workout for the first time since he had become a knight.

However, he didn’t give it much thought, because his attention was soon caught by some noise coming from outside the little house.

The swordsman stood up from the bed and walked towards the door cautiously. He was the only one to know about this place and he had never seen anyone around there before.

He and the prince. 

But he knew better than hoping it was the blond the cause of the noise he had just heard. He wished he could hope so, though.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

 

“Roronoa Zoro?”

 

That voice.. No. It couldn’t be..

 

“I know you’re in there. Open the door. I gotta talk to you.”

 

To his surprise, the door actually opened and Gin was met by the knight’s dark gaze and his annoyed scowl.

 

“How do you know this place?”

 

Gin had expected that question. Although he would have rather discussed immediately the topic he went there for, he knew he had to give an explanation. “In my free time, sometimes I take a walk around the palace and one day I ended up here.. well, actually.. I just happened to hear someone’s voice and I followed, out of curiosity. Then, I.. saw you.. and Prince Sanji.”

He wasn’t looking at the green-haired man, who surprisingly let him talk. “I saw you both coming inside this shack and.. at that point I just left.”

 

“It’s not a shack.”

 

Gin raised an eyebrow at him, unsure, but didn’t argue. “Whatever. So.. do you know about.. I mean..”

 

“Of course I know. What do you want?” Zoro cut it short. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, especially him, and especially about that matter.

 

At that, the dark-haired man’s expression became more serious and he tensed up. “Why so suddenly?”

 

“Why do you ask me?”

 

“Because even though I don’t like you at all, I know you care about him and..” Gin took a deep breath and finally looked at the knight straight in the eyes. “I know he has the same feelings for you.”

 

“Maybe you’re wrong about that.” The swordsman still felt his chest tighten in pain and averted his gaze from Gin.

 

“So, you’re telling me you’re just gonna sit and watch what’s going to happen? You’re okay with this? You’re happy he’s going to marry someone el–”

 

“I never said that!!” This time, Zoro snapped and abruptly grabbed the other man’s collar. “You’ve no idea what you’re saying.. Stop pretending you know everything!!”

 

Gin flinched slightly, but his expression didn’t change. He looked at the green-haired man with a hint of challenge in his own eyes. “Go ahead and hit me, if you think it’ll make you feel better.. just remember that while we’re here fighting like idiots.. Prince Sanji is having lunch with his future husband and for some reason, I think that’s the last thing he’d want to do.”

 

Zoro was literally about to punch him, but stopped. “Why are you doing this?”

 

Gin sighed but then gave him a small smirk. “He saved my life. He’s my prince and I’m his servant. The last thing I want is to see him sad and hurt.”

 

The knight let go of the man’s shirt. What was he doing? Zoro hated to admit it, but Gin was probably right. Sure, He had felt hurt and betrayed as well, but he knew the prince hadn’t made that decision because he wanted.  
But what was he supposed to do? He barely understood anything about politics and he certainly had no say in such matters.   
He was a knight, a warrior. He fought his way out of things. He fought to– for what he wanted. And he should also fight for WHO he wanted. The person he loved and who loved him back.

 

“There’s another thing.” Gin said, interrupting the swordsman’s thoughts. “The foreign prince who came here this morning.. I’ve heard of him. He doesn’t have a good reputation and his army.. is mostly made by mercenaries and it’s very strong. So, whatever you decide to do, just be careful.”

 

Zoro frowned and nodded slightly at him. A wave of determination washed within him.

He wasn’t going to stay passive or hold back anymore.

 

§§§§

 

“Splendid as always.” Fullbody stated excitedly, but it wasn’t clear if he was talking about the food or something else.

 

The two princes and the king sat in front of the long table in the huge dining hall of the royal palace. There were many seats, so Sanji didn’t know and certainly didn’t like the fact that the foreign prince decided to sit down next to him during lunch. He should be sitting in front of him, while the king had to sit at the head of the table. Where the hell was his etiquette?

 

“We’re glad to know you appreciate our cooking.” Zeff said coldly and just out of convention. In that situation, not even food or cooking could make him feel better.

 

The pink-haired prince nodded and had a sip of his red wine. “Ah, this is a Merlot, right? Such a wonderful choice!” He said almost triumphantly, pretending to be an expert on that matter.

 

“Actually, it’s a Cabernet Sauvignon.” Sanji replied without even bothering to look at the other prince. “Now, I think you better eat your ‘splendid’ food before it gets cold.” 

 

The king somehow managed to repress his laughter, while Fullbody furrowed his brows in annoyance and finally went on eating quietly.

 

After they finished the last course, one of the cooks – who worked in the royal kitchens – entered the room as Zeff wanted to speak to him about some changes which needed to be made to the dessert.

While Sanji was watching his father talk to the cook, he was suddenly startled and his eyes widened as he felt a hand resting on his thigh under the table. The blond quickly turned to the other prince, ready to snap at him angrily, but he was taken aback once he saw that the man’s face was just a few inches from his own.

 

“I was thinking.. maybe you could give me a tour of the palace after we’re done here.” Fullbody whispered and didn’t even try to hide the sly smirk on his face.

 

‘In your dreams.’ That’s what Sanji really wanted to say. He tried to control himself, even though it was difficult, especially when the other prince squeezed his thigh and at that point, the blond withdrew his leg and pushed the man’s hand away. “I.. I don’t think..”

 

“Come on.. would you deny one simple request to your special guest who came all the way here as soon as you asked him to?”

 

Sanji could’ve made several objections to that statement, but he chose not to. In the end, he knew he had to give in. “Alright.”

 

He saw the other man’s smirk widen before he looked away.

 

The king didn’t seem to have noticed anything as he was still distracted while talking about the food.

 

§§§§

 

The two men were walking through the corridors of the royal palace. There weren’t many people around and, for some reason, Sanji didn’t like it.   
However, even though the idea of being alone with the other prince made him feel rather uncomfortable, he didn’t want to risk to ruin the alliance even before it was made official. Which meant that he should act diplomatically like the prince and the gentleman he was.

 

“So, I guess this is the private area of the palace, am I wrong?” 

 

The blond was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice where they were going now. He looked around as if it was the first time he went there and his heart almost stopped for a moment.

There was no one but them. The servants had probably already cleaned everything and the king was busy in the throne room with the ministers. Nobody would be around and this meant– 

 

Again, Sanji was too distracted and when the pink-haired man leant close in his personal space, he didn’t have the time to withdraw.

 

“Since we’re here.. how about you show me your private chamber as well? I mean, I’ll get to see it sooner or later, won’t I?”

 

When he looked up at him, Sanji saw a malicious hint in the man’s eyes and he wanted nothing but to kick and send him as far away as possible. But he couldn’t. With a lot of hesitation, he finally began to walk again. “My.. my room is this way.”

 

The foreign prince smirked and followed. The blond stopped in front of a door and opened it, going in. The room wasn’t too large, but there was an enormous and flashy wardrobe, a queen-sized bed and some other furniture.   
Fullbody entered too. As soon as they were both inside, he closed the door behind him and locked it as well.

 

Hearing that click, Sanji turned around and frowned. “What’re you doing?”

 

The other man chuckled slightly, while walking towards him without replying.

 

Sanji took a few steps backwards, but the foreign prince kept moving closer. Then, the blond’s back touched the wall and his eyes widened as he realised he had been trapped.

 

All of a sudden, Fullbody grabbed his chin and forced him to meet his gaze. “You’ve got such beautiful eyes. Actually.. your whole body looks beautiful and.. tasty.” 

 

He leant in eagerly for a kiss, but Sanji turned his head to the side. “Stop.”

 

The pink-haired man narrowed his eyes. “What’s the matter? Come on, you shouldn’t be shy with your future husband.”

 

Sanji could almost sense his blood boil upon hearing that. He clenched his jaw and pushed the other man, making him back off. “You know why I accepted to marry you.”

 

Fullbody began to feel rather annoyed, especially by that gesture. But, as he spoke, he smirked once again. “Yeah, because you need my army and allies to stop the war, so.. you need me.”

 

“But I don’t understand why YOU need me. There must be a reason. I refuse to believe that it’s just because you think I’m beautiful or you want me or whatever.”

 

The foreign prince let out a laugh and shook his head, feeling almost amused. “You’ve always been too smart for your own good, Prince Sanji. Let me ask you a question, though. Why do you even care?”

 

“I want to know.” Sanji looked at him with a provocative and determined glimpse in his eyes. 

 

“Tell me why you want to marry me. The actual reason.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I hope I'll be able to update more quickly next time.
> 
> Meanwhile, you could tell me what you think about this chapter!


	8. War 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologise for being late. 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter ;)

“The actual reason. Tell me.” 

 

Saying that the blond prince was furious would be an understatement. He was sure there was something the other prince was trying to hide and Sanji wanted to know. What advantages could a marriage between them bring to Prince Fullbody?

 

The said man gave him a small smirk. “You wish to know so badly? Fine. It’s not like anything will change.” He slowly took a couple of steps forward again to be only a few inches from the blond. He grinned when he noticed the other prince’s body tense.

“Despite its lack of military assets and experience on the battlefield, your kingdom has one of the best reputation among many others. In some far lands there are even legends about the All Blue Kingdom being some sort of heaven.”

 

Sanji furrowed his eyebrows, focusing on the man’s words and trying to understand what he meant.

 

“Its peculiar blue buildings.. its delicious cuisine.. its amazing prosperity.. so many people would fight to live in a place like this.” Fullbody continued. “Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for my own country.”

 

“Just get to the point already.”

 

“Impatient, aren’t we?” The foreign prince laughed a bit. “Alright, alright. You see.. my father is old and sick. When he dies or abdicates I should become the king, but.. there’s a little problem because.. in contrast to yours, our people are not very happy with the royal family. Normally, I wouldn’t really care about such things unless.. this could somehow get in my way to the throne.” He paused for a moment and sighed. “The worst of all is that my father suddenly started to care more about the condition of people.. he even said that we should give more money to them and less to the army, can you believe it? It’s absurd!”

Fullbody placed a hand on the wall behind the prince and leant in.

“Even though I’m the heir, my position is unsure now. My father might decide to give the throne to another relative that he considers more.. competent. But, if I was to marry the prince of one of the most respectable kingdoms of our time.. then, no one would go against me and my rights.. not even my father.”

 

So, that was his plan. He certainly would become even more powerful than he already was.

 

By the time he finished to speak, their noses where almost touching. And Fullbody’s hands were moving towards the other prince’s hips.

“You being so alluring is just a bonus..”

 

Sanji almost flinched and gritted his teeth. He had to get out of there. “S-stop.. stop it.”

 

All of a sudden, the doors burst open.

 

“SANJIIII!!”

 

Both princes turned to it and Sanji took the chance to escape from Fullbody’s grip.

 

“WHAT– I thought I locked the door! Who the hell is this?!”

 

“Luffy..?? What’re you doing here?” Sanji gazed at the young knight who had just basically destroyed the door of his room like it was nothing.

 

“Ah.. there you are, Sanji! Nami asked me to look for you since she couldn’t find you anywhere. Were you hiding again? Shishishi!”

 

The blond felt his cheeks heat up a little. ‘Lady Nami?’ God, he forgot he had promised to spend time with her after lunch. How could he?! What if she thought he was rude? He had to go to see his beautiful flower immediately. It was also the perfect excuse to get as far as possible from the foreign prince.

“I can’t believe I forgot something like that! Thank you for coming here, Luffy.” ‘Really, for once your timing was perfect.’ “Take me to her now.”

 

The dark-haired knight nodded happily. “Sure!”

 

Sanji quickly glanced at Fullbody and noticed his unsettled and angry expression, but he didn’t care at all right now. They left without another word.

 

§§§§

 

King Zeff was in one of the chambers that he called his personal ‘office’, a place where he kept mostly important documents and archives. He usually went there when he had to deal with administrative matters, but also when he needed to be alone for some time.  
While the king was sitting in front of a desk, he took a book of old memories which he secretly kept there as well.

The corner of his mouth tug upwards and he found himself smiling slightly at the photograph attached to the first page.

 

‘If only you were still here..’

He looked fondly at the image of his beloved wife holding in her arms a three-year-old Sanji, both of them smiling joyfully.

 

‘You were always so good with him.. even.. even though he was a stubborn little brat.. and, well, he hasn’t changed much.’

The king let out a chuckle.

‘He also still has a noble and kind heart.. and.. and he always loves cooking and taking care of our country. You’d be very proud of him.’

He brought a hand to his own head and massaged his temple.

‘I really wish you were here.. so you.. you would know what to tell him and.. I’m sure he.. he’d listen to you.. like he always did.’

Zeff closed his eyes, only for a moment and took a deep breath. Then, he took a deep breath and gently stroke the old photograph.

‘I’m sorry, my darling. I know I promised I’d do anything to make sure he’s safe and happy, but.. but maybe I won’t be able to do it..’

He bent over slightly and planted a delicate kiss on the image of his family, smiling sadly and cursing himself when a tear escaped from his eye. Damn his old age, he was getting sentimental.

 

‘Forgive me, my dear Sora.’

 

§§§§

 

It was almost evening when he went outside and he was rather surprised by the sight before him.

Sanji arched a brow, confused as to why there was a carriage and also various suitcases and luggage all around. If someone was leaving, nobody had told him anything. 

A servant had suddenly showed up earlier while he was drinking some tea with his lovely Lady Nami and her sister – who fortunately weren’t angry at him for being late – and he told him someone was waiting for him outside. The servant had no idea who that person could be, he had just followed an order and delivered the message. What made Sanji suspicious was that he was asked to go there alone. But the palace was his home and certainly he wasn’t afraid to go, even though he didn’t have a good feeling about this.

 

Then, he saw him.

That man, again.

Fullbody.

A part of his heart wished the foreign prince had changed his mind about the marriage and that he only wanted to see him to say goodbye. However, Sanji knew that was too much to hope for.

When Fullbody saw him, he smirked and walked closer. The blond looked away and that was when he noticed that among all the things next to the carriage there were also a few items which belonged to him.

Sanji frowned and glanced at the other prince again, confusion written all over his face. “What’s the meaning of this?”

 

Fullbody grinned at him. “Well, I just thought it would be nice if you visited my country, so.. I ordered some maids to pack some of your clothes and other stuff you might need during the journey.”

 

“What? I’m not going anywhere.”

 

This time, the foreign prince laughed, clearly amused and not annoyed by the blond’s reply at all. “I don’t think you have a choice.” He moved even closer to whisper to him. “I know there’s some hostility between us, but I think a little trip together would be good to.. how to say.. establish our relationship.”

 

“You.. you can’t do that..”

 

“You should get ready now, we’re leaving soon.”

 

That was all too sudden and hurried and Sanji didn’t like it. He would’ve had to leave his country – now that they were in a difficult situation – and travel alone with him.  
“No.” Sanji stated challengingly. “I will visit your kingdom, however.. that will happen when I decide it. If you wish to leave so soon I won’t stop you, but I’m not coming with you today.”

 

Fullbody gritted his teeth, clearly irritated by the other prince’s attitude. He gripped his arm and squeezed tightly, ignoring it when the blond winced. “Listen here.. you’re in no position to make decisions, so you better do as I sa–”

 

Suddenly, a sword appeared in his vision, dangerously close to his face, and the foreign prince had to back off immediately. 

 

“WHAT THE H–”

 

Sanji managed to withdraw his arm and he was now staring with wide eyes at the person who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

 

“Z-Zoro..?”

 

The knight straightened his back and slowly turned to the pink-haired prince with a dark, threating gaze that – someone would say – hid a demonic aura.

 

“Stay away from him.”

 

Fullbody couldn’t help but gulp, even though he tried to hide his fearful reaction and glared at the man who was now standing between him and the other prince.

 

“Who.. who the hell are you?! And how dare you to attack ME?!!”

 

The green-haired man got in a fighting stance, keeping a firm grip on his sword. “It doesn’t matter who I am. I won’t let you touch MY prince ever again.”

 

Fullbody arched a brow at that statement and then, he laughed, making the man in front of him frown. “That’s very funny! And how do you plan to stop me, hm? Maybe you don’t know, but your precious prince and I are engaged and we’re about to leave this country together to move to my kingdom.”

 

Zoro’s eyes widened for a moment. That wasn’t something he expected to hear. This man wanted to take Sanji away from his home, from his father, his friends, from.. him.  
No. He wasn’t going to allow something like that.

 

“You can go wherever you want for all I care, but the prince-cook stays here.”

 

Sanji watched everything almost in disbelief, standing behind the swordsman. He suddenly felt so glad and relieved that the knight had showed up. The blond hadn’t realised till now how much he had missed him.  
Slowly, he reached out and placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. He felt some of the tension leave him, as the knight’s body seemed to relax immediately underneath his touch.

Zoro turned his head only slightly so he could see the blond with the corner of his eye. He smiled, almost imperceptibly, but he knew his prince had seen it.

 

Fullbody’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance. Now they were ignoring him? He had had enough of the men’s arrogance. “You think you can do whatever you want, you peasant?!”

 

Both Sanji and Zoro turned towards him, with a deep frown on their faces. And they stayed very close to one another.

 

Fullbody shifted his gaze from one man to the other, while an idea started to take shape in his mind. ‘So.. it’s like that, huh?’  
He smirked to himself, taking a few steps ahead. “You have no idea what’s at stake. Prince Sanji has made his decision wisely and he knows nothing can change it. That’s why now I’m gonna take him on my ship and he’ll come and live in my castle.” He felt his smirk widen as he continued, even more smugly. “Of course, it’ll take a few days to reach my country, so we’ll have plenty of time to.. know each other better.”

 

“You..” Zoro tensed up again, not liking at all the words he was listen to, and Sanji noticed it. He also realised that the pink-haired man must have understood something and that he was now trying to provoke the knight.

“Marimo, calm down.”

 

But the other prince hadn’t finished.

 

“After all, why waiting for the wedding night when I can have such a beautiful thing all for myself..” The foreign prince raised his hand to point at the blond and watched the scene before him, finding it rather amusing, just like he had predicted. “I mean.. you cannot really blame me for desiring that body..”

 

“That’s enough, bastard!!” The swordsman couldn’t take it anymore. He jumped forward and raised his sword. Zoro just wanted that hateful man to disappeared from his and his prince’ sight, he wanted to slash him, to cut him in a million pieces, he wanted to kill–

 

“Zoro! No!!” Sanji tried to stop him, but Zoro was fast. However, when the knight heard the prince-cook’s voice, he managed to control himself and purposely missed his target, for a few inches.

 

Fullbody’s heart raced in his chest in fear for a moment before the swordsman missed him. He panted a little, but quickly pulled himself together. 

“GUARDS! GUARDS!!” He shouted angrily to catch someone’s attention. 

 

Immediately, a few guards run in that direction and looked at the three men.

 

“What is wrong, Prince Fullbody?”

 

“Your Highness, are you alright?” One of them asked to the blond.

 

“I–”

 

“That knight attacked me! You have to arrest him NOW!” Fullbody was still yelling as he pointed at Zoro.

 

The guards exchanged several confused and unsure looks. They knew the great swordsman Roronoa Zoro, he was a respectful man who always worked hard and took his responsibilities very seriously, as a knight of the royal palace and defender of the royal family.  
Had this foreign prince just asked them to arrest him?

 

“Well? Didn’t you hear what I’ve just told you? Get him!”

 

The guards looked at their prince for help, but before he could say anything, other people came, drew by the loud mess. Among them there were also Usopp, Luffy and, behind them, Lady Nami arrived as well.

 

“Prince Sanji! Zoro! Hey, where the hell have you been?”

 

“Sanjiii! Zoroo!!”

 

“Prince Sanji.. what.. what’s going on?”

 

Sanji and Zoro looked at their friends and then, they turned to each other, neither of them knowing what to say. The blond knew he had to settle things before they got out of hand. He clenched his hands and took a step towards the pink-haired man.

He understood Zoro’s intentions. He really did and, for a brief moment, he felt happy and foolishly thought that they could still find another way to sort things out and that they could still be together. But they couldn’t.  
“Prince Fullbody.. please forgive my knight’s behaviour. There has been a misunderstanding and he was just doing his job to defend my person..” 

 

Zoro had lowered his sword and now, he stood there. He didn’t care about being arrested, if that meant he could prevent the blond from being taken away. All he wanted was to protect his prince, like he was supposed to, and he would never give up on that.

 

“What? He tried to KILL me and you call it a misunderstanding?!” Fullbody was practically fuming and would take no excuse for the act of disrespect the swordsman showed.  
He walked closer to the other prince, with the intention to make it very clear he wasn’t going to just forget it. “You better remember the situation you’re in, Prince Sanji.. you don’t want me as your enemy in this war–”

 

“WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?!”

 

Everyone turned in the direction from where the loud voice came. There were a few surprised gasps among the guards and other people. 

 

“Father??”

That was how he addressed the king when they were in formal situations or when there were people around.  
Sanji’s eyes went wide when he saw his old man.

 

“King Zeff! I’m really glad you came here, Your Majesty.” Fullbody glanced at Sanji and then looked at the king, pointing his index finger at Zoro accusingly. “This man assaulted me! He attacked me with his sword and I was even unarmed! You cannot allow such an offence, especially from one of your knights!!”

 

Zeff eyed all the three men in front of him with an unreadable expression on his face. Then, his gaze fell upon the foreign prince. And he glared at him. “You know what I find offensive? The fact that you were planning to take my son with you to your kingdom without even informing me.”

 

The confidence and the arrogance with which the pink-haired prince spoke before were nowhere to be seen now. He looked away, almost embarrassed, a frown on his face and he gave a nervous laughter. “I.. well, of course I–.. we would’ve told you before leaving, Your Majesty..”

 

“Is that why you have already prepared everything for the journey, including my son’s belongings? You seem to be quite in a hurry for someone who has just arrived here today.”

 

“I thought it’d only be fair to make your son visit my place, since we’re getting married and our countries will soon become permanent allies, after all. And because of this, I’m sure you won’t let such an impudent act be unpunished.” Fullbody replied, pointing at the swordsman once again.

 

The king narrowed his eyes and looked at both the knight and his own son. “Is it true that you attacked our guest?”

 

“Father, he..”

 

“Yes, Your Majesty, I did.” Zoro stated with his gaze fixed at the king. He ignored the shocked gasps and glances people around them sent his way. He also pretended not to hear Usopp calling him and trying to warn him to shut up.

 

Sanji quickly looked at the swordsman and felt his heartbeat increase anxiously. “Zoro–”

 

“I do not regret it and I’d do it again if that means I can keep my prince safe. Because that’s what I swore I’d do.. since the day I decided to become a knight.. I devoted myself, my whole life to the royal family.” The swordsman turned towards the foreign prince, with a dark glare, and speaking to him with a deep voice. “I won’t let someone as unworthy as you to get any close to the prince of this country.. you don’t even deserve to look at him from afar.”

 

Most people were now gaping upon listening to the knight’s words. Usopp and Lady Nami looked like they were about to have a heart attack, while Luffy was the only one smiling proudly at his friend and Sanji just found himself unable to speak or have any immediate reaction.

 

Fullbody, on the other hand, was incandescent with rage. “WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO SAY SOMETHING LIKE TH–”

 

“That’s why..” Zoro continued, unimpressed. “I challenge you.”

 

That seemed to catch everyone off guard, even the king, who chose to watch the scene without intervene, for now. 

Fullbody’s anger unexpectedly died down and he raised a brow curiously at the green-haired man. He considered him for a few moments, then, he spoke. “A challenge, huh? What kind of challenge are you thinking about?”

 

“A fight. I will fight your strongest warrior and when I win, you’ll forget about the marriage, leave this kingdom and never come back.”

 

This time, the pink-haired prince burst into a laughter upon hearing such an insolent stubbornness in the man’s voice. When he finally calmed down, he smirked at the swordsman as he replied. “And why do you think I should accept it?”

 

Zoro answered without changing his expression. The expression of someone who has made a decision and won’t back off now or ever. “Because you don’t want to be considered a coward.. by the people of this country or yours.”

 

Fullbody’s eyebrows twitched at that, but he remained composed. “It’s not about cowardice or whatever.. I’m actually wondering.. what I can obtain by accepting your challenge. What would the advantages be?”

 

The swordsman had sort of expected that it wouldn’t be easy to convince the foreign prince, but he had a plan. He closed his eyes as if focusing on something and took a deep breath. When he reopened them, Zoro looked at the man directly in the eyes. “You can kill me.”

 

Again, there were some shocked and even scared sounds coming from the crowd of people.

 

“What?? Are you out of your mind, marimo?!” Sanji yelled, unable to stop himself because.. what the fuck was the shitty knight thinking? He felt even more irritated when the swordsman ignored him and talked again.

 

“If, by any chance, you happen to win the challenge.. you’d gain the reputation of defeating and killing one of the strongest warrior of this country.”

 

Fullbody actually considered it, but didn’t seem completely convinced yet. There were still some risks, after all.

 

Sanji fought the urge to strangle the idiotic marimo. Why did he have to be so reckless and impulsive?  
He better knew what he was doing because they couldn’t hold back at this point. “If I may.. Prince Fullbody.. an eventual victory would not only be a perfect demonstration of your power and strategy, but also..” Sanji paused and took a deep breath – God, he seriously needed a cigarette right now. He couldn’t believe this was happening. “.. if you accept the challenge and win.. I.. whatever condition or decision you make about the marriage.. I.. I’ll accept, without protest.”

 

Everyone was looking at him now. Zoro felt relieved to know the blond still trusted him so much. That’s all he needed to fight.

 

Fullbody was smiling maliciously at him and finally seemed to make up his mind. “Well, if that’s what our precious Prince Sanji wants.. we certainly cannot disappoint him. I do have one condition, though.” He spoke the last sentence turning to the king, who had remained silent the whole time.

When King Zeff gestured him to continue, the foreign prince added. “I still can’t tolerate your knight’s violent behaviour towards me, therefore, I demand you take adequate disciplinary measures.”

 

Sanji felt his body tense at that, but before he could speak up about the matter, the king nodded slightly and his gaze shifted between the pink-haired prince and the knight. “I understand your reasons. But, before making any other decision, I’d like to ask you both when you think the challenge can take place.”

 

Fullbody was the first to answer. “You see, Your Majesty, when I travel I have the habit to take along a few of my strongest fighters and I happen to have them here with me as well. Thus, whenever my opponent is ready, it’s fine for me.”

 

Zoro simply shrugged. “Same here.”

 

The king nodded again. “Good. The fight will take place tomorrow in the afternoon, in the large courtyard outside the palace.” He declared before he turned to the knight. “Roronoa Zoro.. for your reckless and inconsiderate actions, you’ll spend the night in the dungeon. That’s all for today.” 

 

The guards, a bit confused by the whole situation, watched the king turn around and walk away, just like that. They blinked and reluctantly followed the orders. They surrounded the green-haired knight to escort him to the prisons.

“Roronoa Zoro, sir.. we’ll have to ask you to leave your weapon and follow us without resistance.”

 

“Wait– Zoro!” Sanji tried to stop them, but he was also still trying to process his old man’s words and all the events that just occurred. 

 

Zoro dropped the sword and let the guards do their job. He looked up at his prince and gave him a small, reassuring smile as if saying ‘everything will be alright, curly.’

 

“Oi!! What’re you doing to my friend?! Let him go!!” Luffy was about to jump forward, ready to fight the guards who were taking his comrade away, but he was stopped by Usopp, who tried to keep him in place with all the strength he had.

“Stop it, Luffy! Do you want to be arrested too?!”

The young knight struggled again to free himself from his friend’s grip. “LET ME GO, USOPP! I’VE TO– OWW!!!”

“Be quiet!” 

It was only thanks to Lady Nami’s punch that the dark-haired knight stopped screaming and calmed down a little. She frowned at both Luffy and Usopp, with a serious expression on her face. “There’s nothing you can do for your friend now. We can only wait till tomorrow to see how things will be settled.”

She was right. Prince Sanji, Usopp, Luffy and Lady Nami watched helplessly as the green-haired knight was escorted to the dungeons of the palace. The other people – mostly guards and maids – quietly went back to their duties and chores.

 

When the blond sensed a presence near behind him, he felt his blood boil. Sanji clenched his jaw and turned around to face the other prince, now with a gaze full of hatred and anger. This only seemed to amuse the pink-haired man, who was smiling victoriously as if he had already won.

“I can’t wait for tomorrow afternoon.. I’m sure it’s going to be an interesting fight.”

“Indeed.” Sanji replied without changing his expression.

“I suppose.. I’ll see you later at dinner, then.”

“I don’t think so. I’m not feeling very well, I’ll probably eat in my chamber.”

Fullbody furrowed his brows slightly. It was clear that the blond had no intention to spend another second of his time with him.  
A smirk slowly appeared on his face. ‘It doesn’t matter’, Fullbody thought. “I understand, don’t worry. We’ll have all the time of the world when we’ll be married.”  
He walked past him and nudged the blond slightly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Prince Sanji.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So many things happened here, huh? But how is this going to end?


	9. Love 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it took me too much time for this and I'm sorry, I was really busy, but I also wrote far more than expected, so there's going to be another chapter after this one. That's right. There's more to come!
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy ;)

There was only a small light in the room of the prince. Sanji was sitting on the edge of his bed, unable to fall asleep even though it was almost midnight. He had gone to the royal kitchens earlier to cook himself something and brought it in his own chamber, since he refused to see Fullbody at dinner. He had eaten, despite not being really hungry and then, he read a book or he tried. However, he didn’t seem to be in the mood to sleep. 

The truth was that he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened that afternoon. Or about what was going to happen tomorrow. But mostly, he couldn’t stop thinking about Zoro.

That fool. That oaf. That.. irreplaceable big idiot who faced the prince of a dangerous country only for him. Zoro was ready to fight for him, even though Sanji had told him he was going to marry someone else for the sake of their kingdom. But that dumb knight didn’t hate him. In the end, he had understood him and was going to defend his prince at any cost.

How could Sanji sleep when that stupid swordsman was put in a cell and was spending the night there all alone?

Sanji hadn’t even managed to talk to him properly. And there were so many things he wanted to say to him. First of all, he wanted to yell at him for being a reckless and stubborn idiot. Then, he..

He wanted to hug him tightly.

Kiss him.

And tell him how much he lo–

 

A knock on the door interrupted the blond’s thoughts.

 

“Prince Sanji? Are you there?”

 

That lovely voice. His beautiful Lady Nami came to see him?

Sanji stood up immediately and walked towards the door. He opened it and felt a little surprised to find not only the lady, but also Luffy and Usopp standing there.

“Lady Nami.. guys.. uh, I’m sorry, what are you doing here?”

 

The three of them exchanged a few glances a smiles, even though the guard seemed to be a little worried about something, while the young knight grinned cheerfully.

“Sanji! Let’s go!” He exclaimed.

“Shut up, Luffy! What if someone hears us!” Usopp murmured.

“He’s right, idiot. We must be quiet as we go.”

Sanji just felt more confused. “Wait.. where are we going?”

At that point, the orange-haired woman showed a key to the prince. “Well, isn’t it obvious?” She winked at him and the blond almost had a nosebleed but managed to control himself somehow.

“Come on, we all know you want to go there. But first.. wear this.” Nami said and handed him a black cloak with a hood.

 

§§§§

 

Zoro was sitting on what looked like an old camp bed, leaning his back against the wall of his cell. There was no window, so he simply stared at the ceiling, not actually looking at anything. Although he knew he should sleep in order to rest and be ready to fight next day, the knight wasn't able to do that.  
Instead, he found himself thinking about everything that happened to him in the past few months.

First of all, he became a knight of the royal palace and he met the curly-browed prince. From that, his whole life changed forever.

He fell in love.

It brought him to where he was right now, but somehow he was happy. The following day, he was going to prevent his prince from getting married to a man he hated and Zoro didn't care about anything else. Whether they were going to be together or not, all he wanted was to protect his prince-cook and that's why he was willing to fight no matter what.  
Nevertheless, he wasn't completely satisfied. He wanted to see the blond and at least talk to him again like they used to do before this whole mess happened.  
He closed his eyes and sighed.  
Maybe after the fight, he could do it. And then, he would leave and go and stop the war himself, because that's what was important. That's what the kingdom needed and what the royal family rightfully wanted. As a knight, he was going to do it, even if he had to do it alone.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open when he heard someone's footsteps approaching.  
He initially thought about some of the guards who would come to check everything was all right.  
But then he saw a person with a long cape. It even covered their face, so Zoro couldn't tell who they were. He stood up and moved closer to the bars of his cell.

“Who's the–”

 

He felt his eyes widen when the person's hood fell from his head and Zoro first caught a glimpse of his blond hair.  
The knight's heart skipped a beat when the man looked up and he was met by the prince's bright blue eyes.

 

“Cook.. you, here..”

 

“Yes, I'm here, marimo. Now, hang on..” Sanji couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face when he finally saw his knight, even though he'd never imagined to meet him in such a situation. He quickly put those thoughts aside for now and grabbed the key that Lady Nami had given him.

 

“What.. what are doing..”

 

Sanji inserted the key and with a click, the cell opened and he could get inside.

Zoro was surprised but didn't hesitate to step back to let the prince walk in.

They looked at each other only for a few seconds before they finally closed the distance completely and embraced. They both sighed in relief and Zoro buried his nose in those golden locks he had missed so much. 

 

“You idiot.. you’re such a fucking idiot!” Sanji mumbled against his chest, while he grasped the swordsman's shirt tightly, never wanting to let go. Then he spoke again, in a gentler way. “I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry..”

 

“Hush.. you fool.. I can't believe you stole the key and came here to see me.”

 

“Well, I.. didn't do it alone.” Sanji slightly pulled away only to be able to look at his knight in the eyes. “It was actually Lady Nami who stole the key. She, Luffy and Usopp helped me to get in here, because.. no one is allowed to go to the dungeons, especially at night.. not even the members of the royal family.. if there isn't a good reason.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Zoro.. I.. I'm–”

 

The swordsman gently pressed a finger to the blond's lips before he could keep talking. “I told you to shut up, idiot. It's fine. I understood why you did what you did and I'm sorry for the way I reacted.. I just..” Zoro paused and briefly looked away from the prince. That might be the only chance to spoke clearly about the things that happened between them. He took a deep breath and continued. “I thought.. I had lost you forever.. and.. and.. I knew I shouldn't have let myself hope too much, but.. I wasn't ready.. I'll never be ready to let you go, cook.”

 

“Zoro..”

 

“But.. even though one day I might have to do it.. I'll never stop being one of your knights. I will always.. always.. be there to protect you, to defend you, to fight for you, no matter what.”

 

Sanji didn't know how to respond to those words, to that confession. One that he has always been afraid to hear.  
He threw his arms around the swordsman's shoulders and buried his face in the crook of his neck, feeling too overwhelmed to say something.  
As expected, the knight immediately wrapped his arms around the blond's slimmer body, again.

“I thought I could do it, but.. the truth is that I..” Sanji whispered, after a few moments, as if that was the most important secret in the world. 

 

“.. I don't want to be with anyone but you.”

 

It wasn't like he wanted to hide it. There was nothing to hide anymore. Sanji loved and believed in Zoro. He trusted him so much and knew he could win the fight. But, what would happen after that?

One day, sooner or later, Sanji would have to get married to someone and make sure to give an heir to his country. And what about the war?

Somehow, though, nothing mattered in that moment when the swordsman was holding him so close he could sense his heart beating fast. It was only the two of them, finally, and for a few minutes the rest of the world was forgotten.

They didn’t know how much time passed before they slowly began to loosen their hug. They were still smiling tenderly at each other when they heard a noise coming from where Sanji had arrived.

They both looked in that direction and it was Zoro who broke the silence. “I guess you cannot stay much longer, huh?”

 

“No.. Luffy and Usopp won’t be able to distract the guards forever.”

 

Zoro nodded. He was grateful for having the cook there. Although it wasn’t for long, it was much more than what he had hoped. When he turned to the blond and saw the concern in his eyes, the swordsman gave him a soft smirk. “Don’t worry, curly, I’ll be fine.. it’s just a night in a cell. I’ve been through worse.”

 

Sanji snorted slightly upon hearing the knight’s tone. “I’m not worried, dumb swordsman!”

 

“If you say so.” Zoro chuckled playfully when the prince pouted. It was so adorable that the knight wanted to lean closer and–

 

“Prince Sanji!”

 

Sanji and Zoro quickly pulled away from each other and the blond, who recognized that voice, headed to the entrance of the cell.

 

“Lady Nami, what's wrong? Are you alright?”

 

The orange-haired woman rushed towards the cell where the two men were. She eyed both of them and then gazed at the blond prince. “I'm fine, but.. I'm sorry, we gotta go now. I've to take the key back to its place before the guards find out it was stolen.”

A few seconds passed in which no one said or did anything. Then, Sanji nodded. “I understand.” He took the key to close the cell so nobody could've said that it had been opened.  
Zoro took the hint and stepped into his cell once again, letting the blond close it without looking away from him, not even for a moment.  
Sanji, on the other hand, didn't want to gaze at the swordsman as he locked him in the cell.  
Once it was done, he looked up to meet his eyes again and gave him a small apologetic smile. The knight nodded slightly in understanding and the prince turned to the lady to give her the key. “I don't have words to thank you enough for your precious help, my beautiful flower. I don't want you to risk being caught here so, please, go ahead and make Luffy and Usopp escort you outside.”

She had silently watched the two and taken the key, then looked at the blond with a certain concern in her eyes. “But.. Prince Sanji.. what about you?”

“Do not worry, Lady Nami, I'll be fine. I'll follow you in a bit.”

Nami hesitated, but then she gave one last – and sort of suspicions – glance at the green-haired man before nodding at her friend and turning around to leave.

 

Sanji watched as the lady left and then, he turned to gaze again at his knight, who was giving him a gentle smirk. He hated to see him behind the bars, but fortunately it wouldn’t last much longer.  
The prince stepped forward and put his hands those bars and gripped them, whilst looking up fondly at the swordsman.

Zoro moved closer as well and placed his own hands on the blond’s, stroking them slightly. There were enough inches between a bar and another. So, they both leant in, pressing their lips gently against each other. It felt like they had been apart for too long, but nothing mattered anymore when all the worries and uncertainties melted away in that kiss.

 

A kiss that was also an unspoken promise, the symbol of a secret and deep love. 

 

Their lips brushed together perfectly, like they were meant for that. The two men tried to be as close as possible, until even the skin of their faces touched the metal of the bars of the cell which separated them.  
Sanji whimpered a little into the kiss before they pulled back breathlessly and simply stared at each other. Zoro squeezed the prince-cook’s hands slightly, letting himself drown in the blue sea of his eyes.

 

“I.. I think you should go now.. staying here too long is risky for you as well.” The knight said and knew it was the right thing, even though he hated that they had to say goodbye again.

 

It was the same for Sanji, whose smile fell as he sighed and nodded. “I know.. just.. one last thing, Zoro.”

 

“Sure, curly.”

 

This time, it was the prince’s turn to smirk. “Your fight is tomorrow afternoon and obviously I’m supposed to watch it from the start to the end. But, I also have a strict schedule and I must have enough time to prepare dinner, so.. do me a favour..” He looked at the swordsman with a gaze full of hope and pride. “Make sure to cut your opponent’s ass fast.”

 

And Zoro didn’t need to hear anything else. “As you wish, my prince.”

 

§§§§

 

A crowd of people was already taking seats in the arena installed inside the palace walls for the special occasion. Nobody asked how they could have set up the place in just one day.  
After all, there were particularly strong and hard-working people, but most of all, it wasn't a secret that some kind of magic would come to help. The use of magic wasn't completely unusual and it was always connected to royalty, even though it remained a great mystery how it actually worked. Sometimes, not even the king was able to explain its ways, as it was out of his control and his will. Many said it was the work of spirits that only the members of the royal family could see.  
Fortunately, they all seemed to be good spirits and their help was always appreciated as well as unforeseen. Maybe, those creatures considered the fight that was going to happen to be particularly important for the future of the kingdom, or maybe they just wanted to have fun by witnessing it and that's why they helped.

The king, with his tall crown, was sitting in the place reserved exclusively for him, with his two most trusted ministers on his left and his son on his right, dressed in his regal clothes.

Lady Nami came too, with her sister, and they sat next to the prince.

Luffy and Usopp were in the lowest part of the arena among the other knights of the royal palace, who all came to show their support for their comrade and friend.

Everything and everyone was ready to begin.

Almost everyone.

Sanji looked around nervously, wondering where Prince Fullbody could be and why he hadn't showed himself yet.  
No one knew who he had chosen to fight the faithful knight and respected swordsman, Roronoa Zoro. Sanji couldn't help being a little anxious at the thought that the marimo was going to fight someone he knew nothing about. But he knew Zoro's strength and spirit. He knew that the green-haired warrior could win. He had to.  
It was only a question of a few minutes before the opponents would show themselves. Sanji eyed the whole crowd carefully once again, maybe just trying to distract himself a little for the moment.

There were many nobles, but also common people who probably came from the nearest villages to watch the fight that was likely to decide the destiny of the kingdom, or at least an important part of it.

Sanji's gaze met Lady Nami, who was giving him a soft smile trying to reassure him. Ah, what a wonderful view! She was truly a blessing and Sanji was so glad to have her by his side, especially today. He grinned at her as a way to say that he was alright. He didn't want her to worry about him. 

He began to look around again and suddenly, his gaze fell upon one of the most exclusive seats, not far from where he was.

Fullbody had just sat there, accompanied by a couple of his warriors.

He had a far too confident smirk on his face, looking like he had already won the challenge.

Nothing new about his usual arrogant behaviour.

However, Sanji couldn't help wondering. Why did he seem particularly sure of himself right now?  
The blond narrowed his eyes as he looked at the foreign prince, but his attention was soon caught by the sound of the drums which announced the arrival of the two fighters.

They were about to enter the arena in which the fight would take place.

Sanji immediately turned to that direction.

Then, he saw him.

 

In his shining armour, holding his helmet and with his inseparable sword, which was still in its sheath. He was looking ahead of himself, unwavering.

 

Everybody got quiet.

 

He was true Power.

 

Someone had called him a demon back to when he was still a simple soldier. Now, it was like the God of War himself descended to Earth.

 

He was so fucking hot–

 

Sanji shook his head. It wasn’t the best moment for those kind of thoughts. He had to focus. The other opponent was going to arrive soon as well.  
The prince turned to look at the opposite side from where Zoro entered.

 

When the adversary stepped in the arena, some people began to murmur to one another.

 

Next to him, Nami gasped. “It can’t be..”

 

“Lady Nami, what is it?”

 

She kept staring in disbelief at the person who just entered. “That.. that man.. I know who he is.”

 

“Do you, my lady? Please tell me what you know exactly.”

 

“He.. he’s an infamous mercenary. He had also worked with those who caused the rebellion in the Alabasta Kingdom, many months ago.”

 

Sanji felt eyes widen in horror. “What?!”

 

“He was better known with his codename.. which was.. Mr. 1. But, his real name is.. Daz Bonez, “The Killer”.”

 

The prince’s heart started beating faster. He looked at the arena again. The tall, tanned, muscular man had no weapon with him. He wasn’t even wearing any armour. He was shirtless.

An infamous mercenary. A killer. That was the man who now worked for Prince Fullbody. The man Zoro had to fight against.

 

When Sanji gazed at the green-haired swordsman, he noticed his expression hadn’t changed. He wasn’t going to back off, not that Sanji thought he ever would. But he couldn’t help the fear arising within himself. This was not gonna be as easy as he might have thought.

 

Again, the sound of the drums made him interrupt his thoughts. Finally, it was about to begin.

 

King Zeff stood from his seat. “Ladies and gentlemen, the fight we are going to witness is a challenge between the knight, Roronoa Zoro, and Prince Fullbody who chose his best warrior, Daz Bonez, to face him. It’s not custom to our kingdom to have mortal combats but, as part of the challenge, the knight expressly accepted to get killed in case he loses.” His tone was neutral and his face didn’t give off any particular emotion. A king had to learn to be impartial and objective. That was also something he had taught to Sanji. Right now, he had to keep his opinions and thoughts for himself.  
Zeff turned to both men in the arena, who were standing next to each other. “Prince Fullbody and I agreed that no other rules will be applied. Now.. are you ready, fighters?”

 

Neither of them said anything, but they nodded and bowed to the royal family.

 

“Good. Let the fight begin, then!”

 

Now, there would be three drumbeats before the start.

 

Zoro had carefully observed his opponent, studying him, and he was sure the other man had done the same with him. It was strange that he didn’t seem to carry any weapon, but Zoro felt eager to find out how this man would fight. He smirked to himself. This was gonna be interesting.

 

One.

 

The swordsman glanced at the prince, the very reason his life had changed completely and right now, right there, he didn’t regret a single choice he had made.

He lifted his helmet and wore it, getting ready to start.

 

Two.

 

Then, he finally unsheathed his sword. His eyes were now fixed on the large man in front of him. Daz Bonez was facing him as well. The mercenary’s body moved and he lifted his arms, so that he seemed to be ready to attack.. with his bare hands.

 

Three.

 

Zoro didn’t waste time. At the third thud, he rushed towards his opponent, rising his sword to cut–

 

But..

 

Something stopped his slash. The man hadn’t even withdrawn.

 

From the eyeholes of his helmet, Zoro eyed him in disbelief. The mercenary had fucking stopped his sword with his hands!

He heard several gasps among the crowd.

After the initial shock, the knight looked down. That was when he realised the other man wasn’t like any fighter. His hands and arms were sharp, like they were made of fucking STEEL!

 

“You’re not so cocky anymore, pathetic knight.” His voice was deep and before the swordsman could react, the mercenary pushed him back so forcefully that he almost tripped.

 

Zoro withdrew unsteadily and growled, angry at himself for underestimating his opponent. But he was soon ready to attack again. At least, now he knew the other man’s weapon.

 

Among the crowd, Fullbody grinned smugly. As expected, he managed to catch everyone off guard, especially the green-haired knight. His plan was working perfectly. The money he paid to the mercenary was all worth it and, in fact, the “Killer” was his greatest warrior for a reason.

 

At the same time, instead, Sanji was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He and many other people couldn’t believe their eyes.

Then, he understood.

He looked at the foreign prince and saw him smirking. That bastard. 

He took advantage of the magic that protected his own royal family and used it on his warriors. Maybe he had done it much time ago and several other times. But, how could he have mastered it? And how could it work even while they were in a kingdom that wasn’t his? Sanji didn’t know that was possible. He had always thought the magic of the royalty of a country couldn’t work in other lands. It looked like he was wrong. He had the proof right in front of him.  
The man fighting Zoro was a fucking human blade. And there was nothing he could do. It wasn’t against the rules.

Sanji turned again to watch the fight and clenched his jaw, now feeling more anxious than before.

 

The sound of slashes hadn’t stopped for a second since Zoro had attacked again. However, while his armour was now rather damaged, the mercenary hadn’t even a small cut on his body.

The knight panted. How the hell was he supposed to cut steel? His sword wasn’t made for that. He briefly looked down at his own hands. They were shaking slightly.

He desperately tried to calm down and to focus. But, when he lifted his head, the blade man was already too close to him. He hit him in the head and Zoro saw white–

 

Then black.

 

He was slammed on the ground.

 

His helmet fell from his head, and ended up far from where he was.

 

Sanji’s heart stopped.

 

Nami screamed and she wasn’t the only one.

 

Without even realising it, the prince had stood up. His whole body was now shaking. His eyes fixed on Zoro’s motionless figure on the ground.

 

 

“ZOOOROOOOOOO!!!”

 

 

The mercenary, who was looking down at his adversary, glanced at the blond prince like everyone else did.

 

Amused and excited, Fullbody was ready to claim his victory.

 

But, before he could do that, someone coughed.

 

The knight gritted his teeth and slowly pushed himself up. There was blood dripping from his head, but he didn’t give a shit. He grabbed his sword, which had also fallen, and stood on his feet. This time, he made sure to have a tight and secure grip on his own weapon.

 

“I’m not done with you.”

 

This time, he wouldn’t fall.

 

Now, he knew how to win. And he had to do it.

 

He had promised.

 

Zoro hadn’t taken his eyes off his opponent even for a moment. He rushed forward for the umpteenth time, lifting his sword as gracefully as ever.

 

‘For you, Sanji.’

 

The mercenary was almost stunned by such determination. Or was it stubbornness?  
Either way, this time, he wasn’t prepared for the powerful impact caused by his and the swordsman’s blades. An impact which sent both of them flying, but Zoro managed to land on his feet, while Daz Bonez’s back hit the ground with a loud thud.

He groaned in pain for the first time since the fight had started. When he lifted himself up, he was almost shocked to find out that there was BLOOD on his arms. And he knew it was his own.

 

The swordsman had fucking cut him.

 

He didn’t have time to recover completely, because Zoro was already attacking him again.

 

Sanji could finally breathe. He glanced at Nami and her sister who both sighed in relief.  
When he looked at Fullbody, even from afar, he could tell how frustrated the man had to feel right now.

 

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING, YOU INCOMPETENT IDIOT! JUST FINISH HIM OFF ALREADY! DESTROY HIM!”

 

His shouts only seemed to irritate the mercenary more. Especially because he was in serious difficulty now.

His body suffered more and more cuts. He couldn’t defend himself anymore.

It looked like the knight had just learnt how to cut steel.

Not bad, for someone his age. He had to admit that.

 

They were now both at their limit, panting and sweaty. The mercenary stared at those feral dark eyes that were watching him. The eyes of a true warrior. And a worthy swordsman.

 

One last blow. One last slash. 

 

He didn’t even see him, nor he had the time to register what was happening. The next thing he knew was that he felt warm across his abdomen and right side. Then pain. Strong pain he hadn’t felt in a while. 

He fell on his knees. Then, he glanced over his shoulder at the knight behind him and lifted the corner of his mouth.

 

“What will you try to cut next time.. diamond?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

The mercenary gave a low laughter. He coughed blood and let his whole body fall on the ground.

 

Only then Zoro let himself rest a little. He took a look at his armour which had been severely damaged and his helmet was lost somewhere in the arena. Oh, well, he’d get another one.

 

The crowd began to cheer loudly. The swordsman could even recognise Luffy and Usopp’s voices – especially Luffy’s – among all the other knights and guards yelling and shouting enthusiastically.

 

However, Zoro’s eyes searched for just one man.

 

When they found him, Sanji was already descending into the arena, ignoring the protests of the annoying ministers. Zoro immediately walked towards him.

Finally, they were in front of each other, both smiling proudly, both totally smitten. The knight stuck his sword into the ground, with his hands still on the hilt, and knelt before the blond.

 

“My prince..”

 

Sanji barely contained all the emotions he was feeling. With his eyes fixed on the man kneeling before him, he reached out and placed his hands on the swordsman’s, touching the hilt of the sword as well.

 

“My knight.. today you have kept your word and fought with honour.” He paused and let out a shaky breath. He realised he couldn’t stop smiling. “I am immensely proud to declare you the winner of the challenge.”

 

Zoro looked up at him with so much adoration that the blond’s heart melt. Slowly, the swordsman stood again. People cheering around them seemed and sounded so distant. They were far closer to each other than what would usually be considered acceptable, but they didn’t care. In moments like that, it was only them and nothing else.

 

“STOOOP!!”

 

The prince, the knight and the whole crowd turned towards the part of the arena from which the scream had come.

Instinctively, Zoro stepped in front of the blond, as to shield him and narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired man. What the fuck did he want now?

 

Once he got all the attention he wanted, Fullbody tried to compose himself, but also panted slightly, due to his rage, as he spoke. “I’ve.. something to say.. something.. everyone here should know.. especially the king.”

 

Zoro and Sanji blinked in confusion and exchanged a few looks. Then, the blond looked at his father and saw him frowning.

After a few seconds, Zeff gestured the foreign prince to continue and the ministers, Patty and Carne, stood up and moved closer to the king, both curious to listen to what that man had to say.

The silence was almost surreal. It only made Sanji more nervous.

 

Fullbody smirked again. Maybe he couldn’t win a fight against that knight, but he always had an ace up his sleeve. He lifted his arm and pointed accusingly at both men in the arena.

 

“That knight. He’s not what you think. You saw how he just fought, he managed to cut my warrior’s body even though he’s made of steel. That swordsman is a demon, a dangerous monster!” He turned to the king then. “He shouldn’t be any close to you, Your Majesty, or your son!”

 

King Zeff’s frown deepened. “And why is that?”

 

“Because, he has plans. I only just realised what he really wants. But, now it’s all clear! Your Majesty, I regret to inform you of it, but this.. monster.. has been manipulating your son!”

 

“NO!! That’s not true!” Sanji shouted desperately, but was ignored as the other prince went on.

 

“This monster.. TOOK PRINCE SANJI’S VIRGINITY!!”

 

For a few seconds, there was dead silence. Then, some people began to murmur, while others – especially the nobles – stood up and yelled indignantly.

 

The knight and the prince froze. Sanji felt himself tremble and was unable to look up at his father. 

Until he heard his voice.

 

“Sanji..” The king had stood up and slowly turned to his son, ignoring all the bustle around him. He waited for the blond to meet his eyes before speaking again. “.. is that true?”

 

He didn’t sound angry or disappointed. It was more like he was.. worried?

 

Sanji didn’t know what to say. That wasn’t the way he wanted his father and everyone to find out about his relationship with the knight. That was actually the worst way. He cursed Fullbody – that fucking bastard – several times in his head. And he also cursed himself for having foolishly thought that he could’ve sorted things out somehow. His gaze shifted to Zoro.

The man who had always been by his side and still was, no matter what. His loyalty never wavered. Even now, he was putting everything in Sanji’s hands with no hesitation. He wasn’t going to defend himself. He was waiting like everyone else for the prince to say something and he would accept it. It was Sanji’s chance to finally speak to his reign and decide his own future. And their future as well.

 

“It’s true.”

 

Maybe, he could still try to sort things out. 

Sanji was still looking at Zoro, but then he turned to face his father and the crowd too. “But, it’s not like Prince Fullbody just described. This man.. he’s one of my most loyal knights and he’d never even be able to manipulate me.” Almost subconsciously, the blond began to smile. “I decided on my own free will to give him what I gave him because..” He turned to Zoro again.

 

“.. I’m in love with him.”

 

Zoro felt butterflies in his stomach the moment the prince turned to look at him with such a genuine and fond expression. How many times was he going to fall for him again? He couldn’t be happier about it, though.

They almost forgot where they were once more.

 

“THAT’S MADNESS!” Fullbody shouted again, furiously. “The only thing that knight wants is the throne! He’s using your prince to obtain power and–”

 

“SHUT UP!!”

 

This time, it was the king’s turn to yell. And his voice immediately silenced everyone else. “How dare you to insult my son?! He’s not naïve and would never let anyone manipulate him. He’s the prince of the All Blue Kingdom!”

 

His statement left no space for arguments. Of course his child had many flaws, but he knew he was not a kid anymore and had to make his own decisions.

 

Sanji gaped at his dad, not expecting him to take his part so openly. That old man never failed to surprise him. His heart skipped a beat when he felt Zoro’s hand holding his own and intertwining their fingers. He looked up at him and smiled.

 

“And you, plant knight!”

 

The couple gazed at the king again and blinked. Sanji almost couldn’t hold back from laughing at the name his dad used to call the swordsman. Zoro grunted, but turned to King Zeff with a respectful bow, without letting go of the blond’s hand.

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

 

“You won today. This means Prince Fullbody won’t marry my son and must leave our kingdom. However, this also leaves us with a serious problem to face.”

 

Zoro and Sanji frowned, knowing what he was referring to.

 

“The war. You’re a skilled knight so, let’s hear you out on the matter. What would you do now?”

 

For some reason, that sounded like a test. The king was asking for the swordsman’s opinion about what to do with the war? Zoro knew how crucial it was to define a strategy.  
His gaze remained fixed on his king as he replied. “Your Majesty, I honestly think the answer I’m going to give you isn’t any different from what my comrades would say. As knights, we train every day to keep our kingdom safe. If you, or your son, asked us to fight.. I assure you.. we will, with no hesitation.”

 

An excited shout arose from the crowd of knights and guards.

 

“YEEEEEEEEESS!! SHISHISHI!!” Luffy yelled.

 

“WE’RE WITH YOU, ZORO!” Usopp supported him too.

 

Watching all of this going on in front of him was too much for Fullbody, who was practically fuming. “YOU’RE FOOLS! YOU CAN’T STOP THE WAR ALONE! YOU’LL ALL DIE!”

 

Zoro narrowed his eyes at the pink-haired man and felt Sanji’s hand squeeze his. They both knew Fullbody wasn’t completely wrong. But, at that point, it was a risk they had to take.

 

“Hold on.”

 

The blade man was still on the arena’s floor, with Doctor Chopper who was trying to take care of his wounds. The mercenary pushed him slightly and stood, ignoring the little reindeer yelling at him to stay still.

“You don’t have to be alone. If it’s fighters that you need, I have them.”

 

Zoro and Sanji stared at him like he had just grown a second head.

 

Fullbody had a similar reaction. “The hell are you talking about, you useless bastard! You and your men are MY army!”

 

The mercenary shot him a glare, but remained composed and replied calmly. “My men and I don’t want to have anything to do with you anymore.”

 

“WHAT?!! YOU CAN’T–”

 

“Keep the money. We’re done working for you.” He turned away from the pink-haired prince and while the warriors, who had been standing next to him, also left their ex-ruler’s side, a few guards came to escort the still yelling foreign prince out of the arena.

 

Sanji took a step towards the blade man, eyeing him carefully. He wanted to test him a little before deciding if he could trust him. “We’d appreciate your help to stop the war, but you and your men must know that.. the All Blue Kingdom cannot pay you the same amounts of money you probably received by Prince Fullbody.”

 

“Not a problem, as long as we get good meals.. like the ones this place is famous for.” He replied bluntly.

 

The blond prince blinked, still feeling a bit dubious. But everyone needed a second chance, right?

Before he could say something else, the mercenary’s attention shifted to the green-haired knight. “This is gonna be tougher than cutting blades. Just so you know, kid.”

Without another word, he left the arena. with Chopper following behind him still trying to do his job.

Zoro smirked with pride. The mercenary wasn’t wrong. They had a great challenge ahead of them.

 

“Well, looks like you even have some hidden skills, plant knight.” The king commented from where he still stood. “It’s not common to be able to turn the enemy into an ally.” He seemed to be content with how things were going. 

“I think it’s time we all go home now, the show is over.” With those words, Zeff turned around, ready to go back to the royal palace.

 

“Wait!”

 

The king stopped and slowly turned, raising a brow at the knight, who had let go of his son’s hand.

 

Zoro rubbed the back of his neck, realising he had been unintentionally rude. “I mean.. I.. want to ask for permission to ask you something, Your Majesty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A scene in this chapter was inspired by this beautiful fanart (knight!zoro x prince!sanji): https://mobile.twitter.com/anyan_p/status/1071865367683887106 , I suggest you check it out because it’s really stunning and it helped me imagine how their outfits in this story could be like.
> 
> I promise I won't let you wait for the next chapter too long!  
> Thank you so much for staying with me till now, anyway ;)


	10. Love wins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE WE ARE WITH THE LAST CHAPTER!

Most people didn’t even move from their seats, and even those who did immediately came back as soon as they heard the green-haired knight addressing the king. Many events had already occurred that day and everyone was curious to know what else would happen. After all, their prince had just admitted to have a secret relationship with that swordsman and this was obviously going to affect the future of the entire country. Prince Sanji was the only heir to the throne. Sooner or later, he would become king. The people of the All Blue Kingdom had always respected and trusted him, and they knew he’d take full responsibility for his choices and actions. 

But, what would happen now? What would the wise King Zeff decide to do?

And, most of all, what did this knight want?

 

“Oi, who do you think you are? You can’t ask to talk to the king just like that!” It was the Minister of Foreign Affairs who replied.

 

“It’s fine, Patty, calm down.” Zeff had turned fully to watch the swordsman after muttering something about young people always being disrespectful brats. “I allow you to speak, plant knight. So, what do you want to ask?”

 

“Uh, I..” Zoro looked away, feeling suddenly embarrassed by the fact that he appeared to be at the centre of attention, and not because of his fighting skills. Everyone was watching him expectantly. His gaze fell upon the prince-cook next to him.

Not much differently from other people, Sanji was looking at him with a mix of curiosity and confusion and.. what else? Expectation? The blond wasn’t sure about what to expect from him right now, but he silently encouraged the knight to go on, giving him one of those bright smiles of his.

He closed his eyes briefly to focus and took a deep breath before reopening them.  
When Zoro looked up to gaze at the king again, his heart was beating fast in his chest, but his stare was steady and brave. He didn't want to show his nervousness and knew he had to choose his words carefully.

 

“Your Majesty..”

 

He cleared his throat and began.

 

“I, Roronoa Zoro, the future strongest knight of this country, am here before you to make a very important request.”

 

King Zeff didn't even move a single finger and seemed to have no intention to interrupt the swordsman. So, the green-haired man continued, with his gaze still fixed on the old king.

 

“I.. am here to express my wish to.. to ask for your son's hand in marriage!”

 

To say that Zoro’s words caught everyone off guard was an understatement. Many jaws dropped and people’s eyes widened. Sanji would have found the shocked expressions on the two ministers’ faces absolutely hilarious if he hadn’t been busy being completely taken aback himself.

 

Zoro didn’t dare to turn to him or anyone else and instead, he kept looking at the king who seemed to remain almost impassive, except for his eyes which widened slightly. He was probably trying to control himself and was pretty good at it, Zoro had to admit that.

The knight swallowed and waited. During the fight and after that, he realised what he truly wanted, even though he actually already knew. He also knew that he couldn’t do anything without the king’s consent.

It was now or never.

Through the corner of his eye, the swordsman noticed the orange-haired woman – whom he recognized as the one who had gone to the dungeons with the prince – whispering something to the girl with light blue hair and tanned skin next to her.

Many people had quietly begun to mutter things to each other, but no one dared to speak up. They all wanted to hear what their king would say.

Zeff looked away from the knight and, instead, his gaze shifted to his son. 

He saw the child who was always so cheerful and energetic and with a great will to learn many things, especially about cooking.  
He saw the boy who was often lonely and would try to sneak out of the palace to play with other kids and to make friends.  
He saw the young man who complained because he didn’t want to study so much on books even though in the end he always managed to get very good results.  
Finally, Zeff saw the man his son was becoming, the well-loved prince he already was and the great king he was going to be.

He couldn’t have been more proud.

When Sanji turned to him as well, Zeff smiled. 

 

“You see, plant knight..” Although he continued to look at the blond, the king was speaking to the swordsman. “I think you’re asking the wrong person here.”

The king turned away, then, as if he was about to leave, but stopped. Patty and Carne looked at each other and at him in confusion and a little bit of worry. 

Sanji and Zoro stared at the king’s back, clueless as to what to think or do.

 

“Apparently, whoever my son chooses to marry.. doesn’t concern me.” Zeff turned his head slightly, only to look over his shoulder at the two men still in the arena and spoke with a smirk on his face.

 

“After all, that’s not for me to decide.. right, little brat?” 

 

With those words, the king left with the intention to head back to the royal palace. The ministers followed after him, asking – almost yelling – if he was sure about what he just did. They already knew the answer, though.

 

Sanji watched his dad leave like everyone else and was trying to figure out what he meant with that. Then, he remembered.

Sanji smiled softly and turned to Zoro, who was still staring like an idiot at the now empty seat where the king had sat.

 

“So.. my hand in marriage, huh? That was bold and pretty unexpected, marimo.”

 

Zoro almost jumped upon hearing the cook’s words. “Shut.. shut up, shitty prince!”

 

Sanji chuckled a little, but when he spoke again his voice sounded kind of upset suddenly. “Are you.. changing your mind now?”

 

“As if.”

 

The swordsman’s reply was fast and when he finally turned fully towards the blond, Sanji felt his cheeks blush. Zoro’s gaze was that of such a lovestruck idiot. And he was blushing too!

 

“Sanji..”

 

The blond thought he could spend the whole day listening to the swordsman’s deep voice whispering his name. It was something that always affected him somehow. But, that day, it wasn’t going to affect him like the words he was about to listen to.

 

“.. will you marry me?”

 

Despite the crowd of people surrounding them, this really felt like the intimate moment that should be between them.

The formality of words Zoro had tried to use earlier with the king was forgotten. This was not about the knight and the prince.

Right now, right there, it was only Zoro and Sanji. 

 

The blond felt tears of happiness in his eyes and couldn’t hold back a beautiful smile full of pure joy.

 

“Yes.. YES OF COURSE I WILL!” Sanji literally threw himself at the swordsman, who immediately caught him in his strong arms and began to swing him around a couple of times.

 

They laughed, with their hearts fluttering in their chests and with a feeling of freedom they had missed for too long.

 

“Ah, I knew it!”

 

Nami began to cheer along with many other people for the great news – but not only for it. Next to her, Nojiko let out a sigh in defeat and tossed three coins to her sister. 

“I can’t believe they actually did it, and in front of everyone! I have to admit those guys are really something.” She shook her head with a smile, feeling happy for the new couple.

Nami grabbed the coins and grinned, then she turned to look around.

The knights and the guards, with Luffy and Usopp, were the first to jump enthusiastically and laugh joyfully like a big party had just started.

Many villagers soon joined them in cheering for their prince and the man he decided to marry, this time for love. True love.

Only the nobles seemed to be still sceptical, but a few of them began to clap as well.

It was a good start.

Nami was about to turn her gaze towards the couple again, but something caught her attention. Behind all the seats, near where the exit was, there were.. three figures.

She tried to look better and immediately recognised the three men.

 

So, the king hadn’t left yet.

 

Nami smiled to herself and turned again towards the arena.

 

Zeff was still discussing with the two ministers, but his eyes were directed at his son. He couldn’t miss the happiness on his face and that expression was all the king needed to feel finally at peace.

 

“Your Majesty, so you are really sure about this?”

 

Zeff’s gaze didn’t leave his son and his son’s new fiancé. 

 

 

“Omnia vincit amor.”

 

 

Patty and Carne exchanged a few confused glances. “Uh.. I’m sorry.. what did you say, Your Majesty?”

 

 

King Zeff simply smiled. “Nothing. We can go now.”

 

 

After Zoro put Sanji down on his feet again, they couldn’t stop looking in each others’ eyes and just got lost in them – which was nothing new, especially for the swordsman.

 

“I love you, Zoro.”

 

“I know. I love you too, curly.”

 

Sanji lifted his hands to cup his knight’s face and leant in. 

 

Zoro, with his arms firmly wrapped around his prince’s waist, pulled him even closer.

 

It was the first kiss they shared in public. And it felt absolutely beautiful, 

perfect, 

right.

 

 

 

 

°°THE END°°

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the support you have shown to me, it really helped me a lot!!
> 
> I'm happy with how this story came out and I hope you have enjoyed it as well ;)
> 
> I'm also thinking about writing a third part, but if I will, it's gonna be a short one (just a couple of chapters maybe). I'm not sure yet.
> 
> Anyway, THANKS A LOT, EVERYONE!


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